This Old/New House

Well, it's been over a week since I got here and we've worked almost around the clock! We've accomplished so much, but haven't had time to take pictures or to sit down and write about it. We've got one bathroom completely done, one that just needs touch up paint and caulk and the living room within an hour of completion! We've added on a utility room and in the next 24 hours it will be complete and stocked. (and it was just started 3 days ago!)

The original house was  built in 1889 and it has been remodeled several times. I remember the year I graduated from high school, our entire family worked weekend after weekend getting it "updated" for my grandparents! It has had a few things changed here and there since then, but this remodel is the biggest one yet!

The house in 1984 after the remodel for my grandparents!

One of the best things about this transformation is that the majority of the materials used are reclaimed. My parents tore down an old building for the materials which needed some work to be usable, and they have  worked for months pulling out nails and sanding, etc. I know it was a lot more work, but the savings to them financially were tremendous, and the savings to the environment were even more! And it has been so much fun to look at some of the old pieces and find ways to use them in the house.

I ache in places that I didn't know I had, and I wonder how Momma and Daddy have been able to keep this up for so long. Even though we are exhausted beyond belief, it is so exciting to get up every day just to see what we can accomplish that day before we go to bed! If you have ever taken on a do-it-yourself job you know the frustrations as well as the joys of the undertaking and accomplishments! The absolute best part of this particular time is that we are making memories and with my mom suffering a stroke just over a week ago, we are just too aware of how important those memories are.

As I think about home and my entire philosophy of home and design, I've been thinking about how this home will fulfill every aspect. Not only will it be a place where they can live and will satisfy their needs daily, it will definitely be a place where the love and care and memories abide that will nurture and renew them every single day!

a personal note

Mom and Me in SLC in July.

I'm sitting here tonight thinking of so many things and none of them have much to do with designing interiors, exteriors, or anything to do with decor. I'm sitting here tonight thinking of my mom, who I just found out last night, had a stroke over the weekend. I will be leaving SLC tomorrow on my way to NC to be with her for a while, to help her and my dad with whatever I can.

My parents have been remodeling/restoring the house in which my grandmother, and all of her children grew up. They have been in a major transition with this house for four years! The two of them, with the help of my two uncles and and two aunts, have done all of the work. There have been times when they had no floors, holes in the walls (not in the winter months) and saws and tools all over the dining room, etc. My dad has done some beautiful work, and he designed the space himself! It has been tough on them, but they are closing in on the finish line. I'm hoping to be able to help my dad continue with the work and hopefully do some of what I do to make the finished spaces functional and nurture them through this time.

My dad and uncle working on the house! Stay Tuned!

I will be sharing the projects as we go and hopefully we'll do something that will inspire you!  No matter where we are in life things can change in an instant, you can't prepare for something like that, but you can prepare yourself for how you'll respond to it! I hope that no one is offended by my making this so personal, but this is just another example of how life gives us something that affects how we live and we have to adapt our spaces to fit the next phase of our lives! Stay tuned to see how things go!

Holiday Decorating | by a Salt Lake City designer

As the weather starts to cool off I start thinking about holiday decorating. One thing I used to have a problem with was how to decorate my house for the holidays or seasons, and not have to change everything in my house to make it match. If my regular decor isn't fall colors, how do I add those great fall decorations? How do I make the red and green of traditional Christmas decor work in my space of pale blues and creams?

One way to do this is to change out the throw pillows on a cream colored sofa and add a cozy throw along with candles and a tree. That would feel like a holiday space, but how about selecting holiday or seasonal decor that actually goes with your design? 

No one said that your holiday decor had to be red and green or that your fall colors had to be orange and yellow! I love fall! I love fall colors, but I don't want to live with those colors all year around. I also don't live in the country, so the homey style fall decor of baskets, pine cones, colored leaves and pumpkins won't exactly go with my downtown urban condo. So I had to find a way to get the feeling of fall in my decor without feeling like I put a barnyard in my less than rural surroundings!

When you enter our condo the first thing you "en-counter" is a large kitchen counter! To me, this is the best place to set the "tone" of the space. If it is clean and clutter free, the rest of the space feels more open, if it is crowded with piles of mail, keys, and all of the other things that we carry in, the rest of the condo could be empty and it would still feel cluttered. So, this is the first spot I wanted to decorate, thinking that if I can put the "flavor" of fall here, the rest of the space benefit from the aroma, so to speak! 

I don't have a great number of spaces to add decor of any kind, practically every inch of my tiny space is filled and has to be functional, but I love the changing of season and I love having a little touch of change inside to reflect the changes outside. I try to find decor that doesn't scream the season to you, but gently puts you in the season's frame of mind.

Now, for my husband, it's not autumn, it's football season, and it would be fine with him if we decorated the entire space in red and black and covered it with University of Georgia memorabilia! Ain't happening! But what I did was use decorations that went with the color scheme I already had in place and had a more "contemporary" fall flair!

My bathroom is teals and browns and I found this beautiful blown glass pumpkin in those colors and I think it looks awesome, without changing the style of my bathroom.

Now fall is not necessarily about pumpkins, but it is about wonderful rich colors. The best part of fall to me is the changing of color and the crisp air, it just smells different than any other time of year. I wanted to bring that into my space as well, so in the kitchen, I gave a little nod to the purple wall and used it as my inspiration for color.

I found beautiful candle holders that have a dark purple paisley/floral pattern on them. They aren't typically a fall decoration, but the color was wonderfully reminiscent of deep fall leaves. I paired them with deep green, gold and purple flowers. The flowers are in a julep cup which is pewter and I just loved the tie in to these little turkey salt and pepper shakers. I didn't feel like the items I added were necessarily Thanksgiving, but rather that I could have them here all through the fall and it would feel fresh and timely.

I'd never thought of grapes as being fall colors, but I absolutely loved the way these grapes were the colors in the candleholders, and the colors in my kitchen. I also didn't think of the kitchen as being fall colors, but it just worked perfectly! Adding scented candles in pumpkin spice or whatever scent you associate with fall, will make your home instantly feel more festive.

Now, I said that fall is about color, but my bedroom isn't and I still wanted just a touch of fall decor in there, and I found the perfect little touch. I had found this little ceramic pot of cream roses and I love the romantic feeling of it in my bedroom, so when I found these ceramic cream pumpkins, I just had to add them to the space.

I'm not suggesting that you should add holiday or seasonal decor to every room in your house if that's not your taste, I'm simply suggesting that there are ways of doing so without changing the style, look and feel of the space you've designed in which to live or work. Interior decor and design is about structuring the space for the lifestyle you want to live. It's about reflecting who you are and what you love in your surroundings. So, if the season is one you love, or if you just want to have a new look and feel to your space, then don't be afraid of adding that seasonal touch, but make it all yours!

Today (or Inspiration 2.0) | by a Salt Lake City Designer

Well, folks, I've been in SLC for just about two weeks. Well, two weeks and two days...but who's keeping track? I have to say that starting this blog has been the highlight of coming here. I feel good about it and am certainly enjoying learning what it's all about! I am very thankful to my friends who have helped with technical,  as well as, emotional advice and support.

The past couple of days have been tough for me. I'm feeling the closeness of the walls in this space and frustrated at the lack of "creative" space. I have ideas and a desire to be creative, but I don't have space to do crafty things and believe me I've rearranged the furniture in here so many times we finally just left the sliders under it so we didn't have to pick it up again!

In my tiny (rented) living room I have one long wall that is painted eggplant! I don't own anything eggplant and I'm not that big a Donny Osmond fan! When I was in high school, this would have been my dream room, but now, not so much! What have I done with this eggplant wall, you ask? I ignored it. Decorated my space with the colors and things I love and acted as if the wall was not even there. I don't know if it "works", but it's worked for me, until  a couple of days ago when I realized I've been sitting here for days, blogging and reading emails and other blogs and all day long I stare at the eggplant wall!

So, yesterday I decided I was going to do something creative that doesn't require a great deal of space but gave me a great deal of space in which to work. I had to see something other than the four walls in here, especially the purple one! I went on an inspiration trip! It doesn't hurt that I'm in one of the most amazingly beautiful places I've ever seen. But, you can find the same kind of inspiration wherever you live! We rented a jeep, took off the top and hit the road to explore the beauty that is around us! (I'll post lost of photos to my Facebook page)

Not only were the varying landscapes awe inspiring, I got inspiration from a somewhat unexpected place. We stopped at Robert Redford's Sundance Resort for lunch and I got a great idea from the halls on the way to the restroom!

Sundance Resort

There are simple black-and-white photos in wood frames in collages down both sides of the hallway. They are framed in various sized frames, some with mattes, and from various time periods.  What is hard to tell in this shot is that between the sets of photos are quotes painted on the wall.

I had taken so many beautiful photos of waterfalls, lakes, trees and flowers on this little journey and nothing inspires me like written word, so I couldn't wait to get home and put this inspirational idea to work!

I always have lots of black frames. I buy them en masse! When I see framed artwork on sale (cheap) and I don't like the art, but the frames are in good shape and especially if there are mattes included, I buy all I can afford. These are great for putting together collages and can be used over and over. So, I had all the tools to make my idea come to life!

One detail that I really liked about the photos in the hall was that they had noted on the matte, the date and subject of the photo. This is such a great idea. I love that you can see the photos and know when and where they were taken.

Now, I like to change the art on my walls with the season, and being able to just print new photos and change them out regularly is something I do, a lot! But, the notes on the mattes are written in pencil, the graphite has a lends a nice look and it's changeable, so I didn't have to give up my ability to reuse!

I have an all-in-one photo printer, but you could also print your photos inexpensively at some grocery and discount stores where they have digital printing stations. If you like black and white you can print them with a regular printer.

I use plain printer paper for most of my pictures, but I have used textured photo paper, glossy photo paper and even canvas that is cut to go through your printer. I don't invest in expensive paper, because I know I'm going to change them out again in a few months. My wonderful husband had to hear about how this was going to translate into the art at home, and he not only listened, but he helped me create the look when we got home!

I, typically, only use black-and-white photos in my black frames, but I just loved the way the aspen trees looked against the green ferny floor of the forest here. The water and the sky, the green leaves and the blue berries were just a great compliment to the black frames and white mattes. Perry, who has great handwriting, printed the date and locations on the mattes.

I interpreted the inspiration of the quotes on the walls with a printed and framed quote that I found online when I did the research for this blog. The quote is by Ernest Hemingway. I had already decided on the name of my blog and "googled" it to see what came up, and this quote is what I got! I love it!

"Prose is architecture, not interior decoration..." ~ Ernest Hemingway

So, here's how I translated the entire inspiration! Now, it's not going to stay on this purple wall, it will go back on my entertainment center, but I wanted to you to see the inspiration next to my "Deep Purple" nightmare!

"Private" Bath Essentials | by a Salt Lake City Designer

So, it's half way through the bathroom poll on this page, and I'm somewhat surprised that of the options available, they are all pretty well equal. This means that most of us want a big shower, separate from the tub, great finishes and double sinks! OK, that's pretty basic, but there are endless ways to achieve these few little essentials.

In my last house I had three bathrooms, all with their different styles and functions (so to speak). I mean, they all had showers, tubs, toilets, sinks and fairly nice finishes, but one was reserved for "day" guests, one for "overnight" guests and the other was for the master (Perry).  The very best part of having three bathrooms is the ability to keep your "private" bathroom essentials private!

So the conversation started on my facebook page (Regeneration Interiors) this week about how to do that if you only have one bathroom. It just so happens that Perry and I had discussed that same thing this past weekend. We love our bathroom, it's quite functional for us, but it is the only one and so when guests ("day" or "overnight") are here, our stuff is just out there for all to see!

My shower before.

We have stuff sitting on the counter, because who has a bathroom with enough closed storage space? and who wants to have to put every single thing away and pull it back out every single day? We also have a glass surround in our shower, so all the bottles, tubes and bars of soap are there in the open as well.

Not only does the glass surround make it impossible to hide your essentials, it is hard to keep clean! The tile in the shower is a pain to scrub, but possibly the worst part of all is the glass!

I never dreamed that this blog would turn in to a "how to clean your house" informative, but here's what I've found! I have a squeegee in my shower and after each shower we use it to clear all of the glass, this doesn't stop every spot, but it sure cuts down on them. I'm not going to promote any particular product here, but let's just say that the best thing I've found was once promoted by Billy Mays (God rest his soul!).

Those of you who know me personally and know my craziness will not be surprised that I have to buy hand soap  that matches my bathroom colors because.... well, because they have to match! I don't care what the scent of the soap or the brand, if the color is right, it works for me. What might surprise you though is that I also bought mouthwash, shampoo, razors and body wash that is the color of the bathroom. Why?, do you ask. Because it has to match! Now, I'm not saying that you have to change all of your products to match your bathroom, but it is one way to get a neater look with little effort.

(a little side note: when I worked at Thomasville Furniture, I actually ordered M&Ms to match the upholstery that we were showing at market! I mean, you can't have the candy clashing with the upholstery!)

OK, back to the bathroom...

Dental Organizer!

So, I set out to find the perfect solution to the bottles and tubes that were in my bathroom. What I found is that your imagination is the limit of what you can find and prices range from $9.99 to well over $20.00/container. We've all seen soap dispensers in every style, color and theme. There are little jars and cups and toothbrush holders to go with every design! and I bought a good selection! (it's research, people!)

So, I don't like my toothbrushes out on the counter, because I couldn't find ones that matched the bathroom and it's unsanitary!  The toilet in my bathroom is next to the sink, ewwww!  I did find this "dental organizer" when I was out shopping today but resisted buying it, but it is a good solution to keep them handy and sanitary.

Silver finishes create cohesive look.

What I do have on my counter is cotton rounds, cotton swabs, tissues and mouthwash. I put the mouthwash in a decanter that has a glass turned upside down as the top, this way you always have the glass to use as well. I bought a soap dispenser, even though my soap matched, I didn't like the label showing. I found glass jars with silver lids for the cotton rounds and swabs and even found a matching one with a candle!  I found the tray that allowed me to utilize the back of the toilet without worrying about the jars falling off.

My shower after!

I found soap/lotion dispensers for the shower as well. It took some time to find plastic ones and I was afraid of glass in the shower. I actually found these in the kitchen section and found that the kitchen ones were nearly half the price of the ones in the bath section.

Well, I hope this has given you some ideas about how to have your private essentials out for all to see, but make them look as neat as possible. The key to keeping any area with lots of items seem less cluttered is to have the same colors and finishes. Our eyes then relate them to each other thus the illusion on less clutter!

Re-purposing| by a Salt Lake City Designer

Yesterday I posted a story about a client whose house I'd worked on and shared some tips on things we'd done. Today I'd like to share another client's tale. 

Ms. Margaret writes: (the following is an excerpt from her letter)

Dear Ginny,

I cannot began to tell you how pleased we are with the wonderful job you did in designing and decorating our old historical home in Newton. I was just at my wits end as to what to do and where to began. I knew the house would be my dream home if it were decorated properly. It was so much fun working with you and seeing my home come together so beautifully.

Buffet from England

The amazing way you turned the old side board, that was the gift brought to me from England, into an island for my kitchen and how you found the used round table and chairs at almost no cost and turned the old chest of drawers into a buffet for the dinning room. 

You have exquisite taste and talent and you made our home the very best it could be with items I already had just rearranged and just a very few additions that were chosen and arranged with your expertise. You are indeed passionate about your work as a designer and decorator . You may use me as a reference if ever needed. Several of my friends and guest that viewed my home were sad to learn that you had moved away and would not be available for their decorating needs.

We want to thank you for all your hard work and for making the old house into my dream home.

In sincere appreciation for a job well done,

　

                                                                                    Margaret 

Thanks Ms. Margaret, I had a great time doing your house too!

Margaret's house is about 100 years old and has some "quirkiness" that most old homes have. The bones were great, but the rooms needed some "un-updating". The previous owners had tried to modernize the house, but had really only succeeded in taking away the character of the home. The one room that needed the most help was the kitchen. It was a large room, but they had only put cabinetry on 2 walls and there was just a large open space in the middle of the room. There wasn't a lot of counter top space so we decided it needed an island. 

Margaret had an old sideboard that was brought from England by a family member who had lived there. The piece had gotten wet during a heavy storm that had broken out a window and the veneer on the piece was destroyed, but the structure was still in great shape. Because the storage was ample and the piece was going to be thrown away otherwise, I decided to do a make-over project! (My dad is my handy-man and he does great work and he gives me a great rate... I would recommend him to anyone!)

We added "bead board paneling" to the back, sides and doors. We painted it to match the cabinetry that was in the kitchen. We made the top like a large tray and then set the tile in the "tray". We used unfinished newel posts, turned upside down for the legs.  The best part of this makeover is that the tile top and legs are not actually attached to the sideboard and can be removed and the piece again used as what it was intended to be. The finish was already ruined so the new surface and finish would still be appreciated! 

Saved from the dump!

Unfortunately, I don't have photos of it in place (I'm terrible about not taking "after" pictures) but hopefully you can get the idea from these before-during photos. This is such a simple thing to do and made such a difference in the kitchen. This "make-over" not only gave new life to the kitchen it gave new life to a piece of furniture that was headed for the dump! 

Transitions

Where is life taking you?

We all go through transitions in our lives, some are for good reasons, some aren't, but there are ways to make the most out of these transitions and prepare ourselves for great futures. One of the ways to do that is to create an environment in which we can thrive. Something I like about the work I've done is that I get to help people go through these transitions in their lives and be a part of their path.

I had the pleasure, when I lived in Alabama, to be part of helping folks transition their houses into homes. I'd like to share one their stories and some tips for how we got great results. (I'll be sharing more of these stories in upcoming posts.)

Dr. Chuck writes:

Months after I had moved into my new house following a divorce, I needed some help arranging furniture, getting my artwork out of my closets and the attic and onto the walls, updating my school aged daughter's "baby furniture", adding some plants to the decor, and most importantly, doing all of this on a very tight budget! Ginny stepped in and helped give me direction and the motivation I needed to transform my house into something I could be proud of.

I have always been afraid of and resistant to change, so I feared that having a decorator help me would be a stressful thing for me. With Ginny the process was anything but stressful! Not only did she understand my situation and my fears, she worked around my eccentricities and made me completely comfortable with the process. She intrinsically knew what I needed and where to find quality materials for bargain prices in order to easily stay within my budget. Not only did she make recommendations and suggestions, she did all the shopping for me, grabbed a hammer and the hardware to hang my artwork, and went straight to work. Simply put, Ginny helped me transform my house into a home.

Ginny is a wonderful person with a pleasant and infectious positive "can do" attitude. She is very easy to work with and simply has a knack for doing what she does. She works hard and does excellent work for a very reasonable price. I can fully recommend her to anyone without reservation.

Thanks Chuck! I thoroughly enjoyed working with you! 


One of the main things I remember is Chuck's daughter's room. The furniture was painted white and had colorful knobs, perfect for a baby or even a little girl, but she was ready for a more grown-up space and some place that was going to function throughout her teenage years. The pieces were in great shape, very functional and even the finish was great; we just changed the knobs. We opted for brushed nickel knobs and a matching mirror (much the same thing that I did in my room) and completely changed the feeling of the furnishings. This would also have been great with glass knobs and a mirror-framed mirror for a little more glamour. There are so many options in decorative hardware, I recently found a website that has literally hundreds of different kinds of knobs, pulls and hardware for any style, theme or budget! (I've contacted the company and will post the link as soon as I get the permission to do so.)


One other thing that I remember was that Chuck didn't have an end table in his den, but he had a great little dinette table he wasn't using and the size and scale were great, but the legs were just a bit too long for an end table. We decided to cut the legs off at just the right height to meet the arms of his sofas and it worked great! This is a great way to get a piece you need and use a piece you no longer need. I love the idea of repurposing! It is budget friendly, but it is also ecologically responsible. Before you throw out old and get new look carefully at the items you have and see if you can refinish, recover or repurpose. 


Sometimes the best thing I can do for a client is inspire them. I'm so happy to read that Chuck was able to feel at home and feel proud of his home. Chuck has a beautiful house, it just didn't "feel" like home to him at the time. By using what he had, rearranging his beloved objects and collections, we made the space personal, warm and nurturing (much like Chuck, himself) and we did it on a budget he could be comfortable with. That is my whole purpose, to help others love their spaces! If you are in a transition of any kind be it moving, empty nesting or downsizing, think about how updating your home (even just one little space) can help improve your state of mind!