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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Back from the past: restored 1890's ice box is ready for its closeup

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It may come from the fact that I was born and raised in Virginia's Peninsula area. Surrounded by the history of Yorktown and Williamsburg. The ghosts from our country's past were everywhere.

I've always held a fascination and wonder for antiques from the past – primitive furniture mostly – that was used by our ancestors in their homes, shops and workplaces. From dry sinks to pie safes, from step back cupboards to wooden iceboxes and farm tables and beyond, their faded paint, worn patina, scrapes and knife cuts almost speak out loud their past and individual stories. And as a Fort Myers interior decorator, I love working vintage pieces into the beach houses, traditional and contemporary homes where a little wow is needed.

In fact, with a little imagination, sometimes one discovers a piece that almost cries out to you, “Look at me…if you only knew the history I have been through…the people who have used me in their daily lives…the conversations that I have heard from owners long-since gone.  And while my looks have long since diminished, I am still standing.”

Such has been the case with much of the antique furniture I have found and collected over the years, one-of-a-kind pieces that I will always treasure. And up until recently, I thought I’d seen just about every antique that could possibly take my breath away.  I was wrong.

Last summer, on a website of a well-known architectural salvage firm in Roanoke Virginia, I stumbled upon an offering of what can only be called the “mother of all ice boxes.”

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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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Simple Pleasures: A vintage piece becomes a holiday treasure

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It was easy to walk right past this little gem at the antique market in Mt. Dora.

Photo of vintage, shabby chic chair before

Someone had tossed some dried twigs on top of it and this vintage, white rocking chair didn't have much of chance with all of the other great pieces for sale. Plus, it was covered with dirt.

But the minute I saw it, I knew it was going home with me. More shabby than chic, it's white paint is very weathered. Perfect. Someone put a lot of love into making it as it has a pretty curved back. It must have spent many years on someone's porch. And now it was looking for a new home.

So, after negotiating a rock bottom price, into my car it went. I had no idea how I would repurpose it but as I always tell my clients, when something speaks to you, buy it. You will find a place.

Photo of vintage chair repurposed for ChristmasAfter a good bath and some gluing, it has found the perfect home. Years ago, a dear friend in Orlando gave me two holiday reindeer (dressed for Christmas dinner) that she purchased at an auction for a children's charity. It has become my most treasured holiday decoration. Today, they sit in my new (old) chair on my front porch with a holly berry wreath on the back.

Simple pleasures really are the best.

 

Want to turn plain rooms into Spectacular Spaces? I can help. Contact me!

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Accessories: Maximize with minimum

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Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press• Nov. 17, 2012

Photo of accessories from Ballard DesignsWorld map printed canvases reproduced from an actual 1937 map. Photo: Ballard Designs.

Accessories for the home are the most important part of interior decorating. They are the icing on the cake. The finishing touch.

Done well, they reflect our tastes, our style, our travels, our dreams, what we love. They are the soul of our home.

Photo of repurposed vintage table with shell and glass collectionsRepurposed vintage table is used for shell and glass collection.Done not so well, they create visual overload and just look like a bunch of stuff that was purchased to fill empty spaces. Meaningless bits that in a year will be thrown out. But a grouping that has been thought out allows you to relax and makes you feel calm.

Coco Chanel knew a lot about accessories.

She said that “simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”

She knew that the simplest possessions in our homes, just like in jewelry or fashion, are often the most meaningful. And so it is with accessories. Less is usually more.

Accessories are often the most difficult part of interior decorating. Not because we don’t have enough of them but because they are often not properly displayed.  Just as we do when deciding on paint colors, furniture purchases, window treatments, flooring and fabric, a plan is needed to make accessories work for the home.

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