In every single one of my designs I always start with a piece that inspires me.  Since the build of our new home, I’ve recieved quite a few messages and texts from friends and family asking where to begin with their renovation or redesign.  I have three pieces of advice to you if you’re wondering the same question.  Number one, design your home or space around the way that you live.  Think about traffic patterns in your home and the needs of that space.  Don’t design for the way you think you’ll live.  Number two, focus on the sight lines in your space.  (I’ll get into this more in future posts.)  And number three, do what inspires you.  Find a piece you love and start there.  Which truly is an art of it’s own; and it’s where my design starts in this next image. 

In this picture, I found my inspiration piece, this mirror.  It’s made out of individual pieces of branches, twigs and recycled wood and came from the magical place called TJMaxx Homegoods.  🙂   And, it worked because it was the perfect way to achieve bringing the outdoors in our home.  I then paired that with the opposite, a perfectly patterned rug.  Putting two things together that are opposites create what I call well-balanced design.  This “imperfectly perfect” look is one that builds a story off of one another.  Add that with a pair of rainboots serving as a vase to beautiful hydrangeas and you have a look out of a magazine!  A few additional design tips I’ve learned over the years that applies to this back entry… For small spaces add a mirror.  This automatically reflects light and will make the space appear larger.  Tip number two, layer, layer, layer!! You see the trimwork in the back?  This immediately gives the space a layered look while adding depth.  And because this detail work is symmetrical and essentially “perfect” in scale and measure, if you pair that with two objects that are unexexpected in scale, (a branchy mirror and flowers) you have what I call beautiful design! Welcome HOME.