A few months back, I started an e-design shopping consultation for a studio apartment makeover in Brooklyn, New York. I was charged with helping her transform her small, cluttered apartment into a functional and stylish space that matched her Brooklyn swag. As the months turned to weeks, it hit me that the One Room Challenge was around the corner and she was gracious enough to let me submit her apartment as part of the bi-annual event.
Read MoreAfter the One Room Challenge week 5 update, I was overwhelmed by how many of you couldn’t believe that the artwork in the project was from Amazon. The 4-piece canvas featuring the silhouettes of 4 dope African American females is only one of many amazing art finds I’ve uncovered on Amazon — I practically shop for a living — and so I decided to share ten of my recent art favs from Amazon that I think you’ll love too!
Read MoreFact: I didn’t know I was a millennial. After experiencing the design trends geared towards millennials at High Point Market this season, it totes makes sense that this is my generation — these are definitely my people…at least when it comes to interior design and styling. And as my days at Market continued, I noticed that more and more showrooms were embracing these millennial design trends.
Read MoreHoly Moly Canoli…One week to go!!! And OMG!!! What a couple of days it was! It was a perfect reminder that some progress is better than no progress — the magic is in the editing, not in the perfection. The beauty of e-design is that it doesn’t have to stop here — I can consult with her on the next phase of what she’s ready to tackle, whenever she’s ready, with a quick video conference. But with the bulk of the transformation completed by yours truly, the space already feels less overwhelming and daunting. She can now start to feel confident in her home and be at peace knowing that her stuff isn’t working against — it’s working for her. It’s Design Therapy!
Read MoreWhile I’ve never considered myself a hotel snob, I’ve always been pretty particular about certain hotel requirements; and for that reason, I’ve never stayed at an Airbnb. When this whole Airbnb business model became a thing, I was very skeptical about staying in someone else’s home. The way a host prepares an Airbnb is no different than the way a host would prepare a guest bedroom…or at least it shouldn’t be. So what makes a great Airbnb?
Read MoreIn real time I’m heading to NYC to install the transformation but it took quite a few steps to get here, especially working remotely on the design up to this point. All the white glove service that I shared with you last week completely changed things, making this a seamless process. And now she can come home to a studio apartment that’s super cute, organized, and functional because it’s no longer inundated with stuff. how freeing is that?!
Read MoreBeing part of this season’s Design Bloggers Tour meant I was able to exclusively tour 15 showrooms — some old favorites and others, new discoveries — and not only see the product but also get insights into the brand stories. After 48 hours and way too many cups of coffee, it was inspiration overload! So much new goodness! So what do we have to look forward to in 2019? Here’s my Design Bloggers Tour Spring 2019 Trend Report.
Read MoreIt 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 MoreIf you’ve been following me for any length of time then you know that last Spring I was fortunate enough to attend my very first High Point Market. I was invited to speak on a panel talking all about e-design! Then this past Fall I returned to market, hosting my own Mentor & Mingle Event, but never did I ever imagine that a year after my first market appearance, I’d be attending as part of the High Point Market Design Bloggers Spring 2019 Tour! Presented by Esteem Media, the Design Bloggers Tour consists of 10 design bloggers — us — chosen to tour the sponsoring showrooms and share all the upcoming trends, collections, and launches with our readers — you!
Read MoreBased on the 10 styles of my Decor Discovery Style Quiz, here are 10 Apt2B sofas that’ll not only fit your space but that are customizable to complement the personality of your home. With so many silhouettes available on the Apt2B site — apartment and full-sized alike — and even more fabric options available, there’s no way your next sofa won’t be full of style and personality!
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 renter and as someone with a very renter-centric audience, I’ve noticed that some retailers end up becoming synonymous with home ownership and/or home improvement…retailers like The Home Depot. So I was pleasantly surprised when preparing for a new project I found that I was able to specify the ENTIRE redesign on The Home Depot site! If you’re like me, and you’ve never considered The Home Depot for your design project — whether it’s a a full do over or some quick styling updates — I’m gonna share with you some of my recent favs from the Home Depot site that are stylish, chic, and perfect for any space.
Read MoreI love decorating with books, especially on my shelves. With every new vignette I do, I pull out the books whose covers & spines are the best fit for my palette, and they easily become part of the decor. This isn’t to say I don’t also read my home books — because I absolutely do — so really, it’s like I’m paying one price for two functions! Whether it’s for your coffee table or your next shelfie, here are 16 of my favorite picks for books that’ll not only inspire you, but will make great additions to your library and decor styling:
Read MoreA few months ago the internet blew up with news about the Fyre Festival documentaries that were premiering on Netflix & Hulu — same topic, different documentary. In case you missed it, the Fyre Festival was slated to be a massive music festival intended to be the modern-day luxury Woodstock.
What it was, instead, was a clusterfuck of poor planning and even poorer execution that resulted in social media going crazy over how hundreds of people lost thousands of dollars to attend an event that never came to pass.
The documentaries, each in their own unique style, illustrated how this event, and the aftermath, played out. After watching both, and having a hearty laugh, it hit me that there were many lessons to be learned from what transpired, especially for those of us in the entrepreneurial space.
Read MoreIt’s that wonderful time of year where getting a restaurant reservation is harder than trying to get a toddler to bed on time. Call me old fashioned but I’d much rather celebrate my love in the quiet, intimate setting of my home. There’s no wait time, no mandatory gratuity, and no dress code. Here are three tablescape ideas — whether you’re celebrating romance with your significant other or Galentine’s Day with your best friends — to make your at home Valentine’s Day plans fabulous & unique!
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.
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