Tips for filling home sweet home with happiness

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Wrenda Goodwyn • Home Inspirations • special to the Fort Myers News-Press• Feb. 2, 2013
 

Let’s face it. We are all on decorating overload. HGTV. Pinterest. Facebook. RSS feeds. Blogs. Magazines.... and the list goes on and on and on.

Create a new color palette as shown in this bathroom featuring Benjamin Moore's Sea Star (lower wall) and Lime Sickle (upper walls). Visit benjaminmoore.com for more ideas. / Photo courtesy of Benjamin MooreWe are constantly being told what to do, how to do it, the best way to do it, what color to do it and where to go to purchase what we need to do it. All good information but it is easy to focus on what you would like to have rather than what you do have.

And I feel your pain. Imagine being a southwest Florida interior decorator — we are exposed to the most beautiful of everything that can possibly go into a home. The result: We are in a constant state of wanting to redo our own homes (speaking for myself of course).

So my suggestion is this: If you have not done your 2013 decorating resolutions yet (anyone?), take a deep breath (or a time out) and think about what is most important to you.

For example, rather than throwing out all of your furniture and purchasing new, think about what is in your home that makes you happy. What do you love? Make a list and start from there.

Maybe rather than redoing your kitchen, you should think about painting the walls, adding some new hardware and purchasing a beautiful light fixture. My favorite four changes for the most impact: paint color, crown molding, new switch plates and new door knobs.

Remember: Decorating is all about happiness in your home. It is not about what is in or out. It’s about what makes you happy.

Try this exercise: Pretend you are selling your home. Take an imaginary prospective buyer room-to-room. Point out the best features of each room. Make a list.

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Holiday decorating tips: Make an entrance!

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Ready or not Christmas is coming! If you are waiting for inspiration to motivate you to start (or finish) your holiday decorating, there are lots of ideas this season for easy and beautiful designs that will have you decorating your home like a pro!

As a Fort Myers interior decorator, one of my favorite tips is easy and inexpensive:

Start at the front door and take your door from drab to fab with a fresh pop of color!  Think greens, reds, turquoise (if you are bold). Remember, it is only paint, so don’t be afraid! 

Is your front door a little boring? This beige entry needed a holiday makeover!

Photo of beige door before makeover 

Voila! Turquoise door and new color scheme make all the difference for this holiday home.

Photo of holiday turquoise door after makeover

 

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Tips for decorating like a pro this holiday season

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Photo of velvet stockings from West ElmVelvet monogramed stockings from West Elm add traditional fun to holiday decor. Photo: West Elm.

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press• Dec. 8, 2012

If you are waiting for inspiration to motivate you to start (or finish) your holiday decorating, this may be a good weekend to spring into action! The good news: there are lots of ideas this season for easy and beautiful designs that will have you decorating your home like a pro!

Photo of jewel tone ornaments from Pottery BarnAdd some bling to your holiday with Pottery barn's jewel tone eclectic ornaments. Photo: Pottery Barn.If you are thinking about changing or updating your look this year, consider  adding some of the popular metallics, bling, jewel tones, feathers and fresh, shiny colors to your home.  Think moderation and be selective!

If you’re in a time crunch, and who isn’t, Frontgate lets you create your own signature style with a choice of three beautiful design options. Select one and you will receive everything that you need for the tree from ornaments, enhancers to ribbon and trim.  It also includes coordinating garland and a decorated wreath.  It couldn’t be easier. Almost like Christmas in a box. www.frontgate.com.

Use your traditional favorites but don’t be afraid to try something new.  Some of our favorite decorating tips are listed below. Use them and tell your friends that you hired a designer to help this year!

Tips for holiday decorating like a pro

Make an entrance! Start at the front door and take your door from drab to fab with a fresh pop of color!  Think greens, reds, turquoise (if you are bold). Remember, it is only paint, so don’t be afraid!  And don’t stop there! Take last year’s wreath and give it a makeover to complement the door.  Beautiful shells, branches, colorful ribbons will help you create a new wreath in no time. A huge impact with minimum expense and effort.

Use what you have! Don’t put everything away and transform your home into a winter wonderland.  Use what you have in your home as your stage.  If you have a piece of artwork that you love over a mantle or table, start there and add holiday decorations that compliment it. And don’t forget: what comes from nature works best!

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Spring forward with these tips to refresh your home

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Spring forward with these tips to refresh your home

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press• April 7, 2012

Since this is a close to spring as we get in Southwest Florida, most of us are looking for ways to give our homes a little freshening up! Some decluttering.  And maybe a couple of home projects that we have been thinking about since the holidays. Something about spring, wherever we live, always gives us a nudge to shake things up a little. And even if budgets are tight, you can still do a little decorating to make an impact.

Photo of vintage pickle jars from Pottery BarnAdd spring color with vintage glass pickling jars from Pottery Barn.10 tips for putting a little spring into your home:

• Say goodbye to clutter.  Spring is the perfect time to get rid of anything that you don’t love.  Go room by room and drawer by drawer.  Closet by closet.  I find that tackling one room at a time works best. Don’t aim for perfection.  Just try to make a dent. And don’t forget to dump all of the piles of magazines that you have not read in the past two years.  Too many collectibles?  Put some away and rotate them back in the fall.

• Don’t try to redo the entire house but pick one room and give it a makeover.  Maybe the family room or the bedroom.  Make changes that you have been thinking about.  Spend some time and plan it out like a decorator.  Find photos in magazines or on the internet.  Make a vision board.  Establish a budget.  Set some priorities.  Have fun.

• Add some color for the biggest change.  Try some pops of that Tangerine Tango that you have heard so much about.  Pantone’s Color of the Year is cheerful and bright.  Try new throw pillows, a throw, picture frames. It goes with almost anything when used as an accent and is a very happy color!

• Give the kitchen a facelift. Not a remodel but some small changes that will make you love your kitchen again. Take all appliances off the counters (you will have room in your cabinets or pantry that you have decluttered).  Okay, leave the coffee maker.  But seriously, remove everything else.  Now you have room for a vase of beautiful spring flowers.  Now…replace the drawer pulls and any other outdated hardware. Then add a fresh coat of paint.

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When you live where you work

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Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press• January 28, 2012

If you find yourself looking for space to carve out a home office or if your current one is looking a little dreary, it may be time to come up with a plan.

Photo from Pottery BarnPottery Barn.Whether you are converting a walk-in closet into a workspace, sharing a family room or transforming a guestroom to your new home office, it can be a fun adventure if you follow a few tips.

Put some light on the subject. By now we know about the negative impact that lack of light has on our productivity and mood. And the best light of all is natural light. It reduces eye fatigue and headaches. Make sure that you have as much natural light as possible coming into your office. In addition, allow for both overhead lighting and task lighting. And skip fluorescent lighting. It makes you tired. A good desk lamp is Pottery Barn's Cole task table lamp (www.potterybarn.com). It is designed to focus light precisely where it is needed, making it perfect for reading and desk work. It has two turnkeys that let you adjust its height and angle and it also comes in a floor lamp. In addition, purchase a shaded lamp for a surface in your space to give your office some warmth.

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Decorating focus: Spring

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Photo of colorful rugs

Realizing that it is only January 15, I woke up this morning to 35 degrees in southwest Florida and started to think about spring. It must have been a flashback to my Virginia Peninsula roots. This is the time of year that I always started to dream about summer days and wish they were not so far off.

Photo of bathroomPhotos courtesy of Garnet Hill.Today is a glorious, sunny, blue sky day in Florida. But it is cold. We have about three days a year that are like this. So, while I was rummaging through the back of my closet for my Ugg boots, I was thinking cold. But when I saw this gorgeous photo from the Garnet Hill catalogue, aside from wanting this room with its great light, beautiful distressed, whitewashed flooring and the jewel-toned hooked rug, I started to think about spring. 

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