Cheers to a Fresh Start

Who else has a “holiday hangover” besides me? I’m already missing hanging out with my mom, waking up (at noon) and drinking coffee out of the mug my dad set out for me right next to the coffee maker and of course spending time with friends and family that I only see a couple of times throughout the year.  Just as I’m allowing my reminiscing to get me into a full on winter funk I remember! What is wrong with me? This is a FRESH start! Let’s get organized! Make a schedule! Begin the workouts! Finally throw out the eggnog and put the Christmas decorations away!

First things first though.  Let’s get organized. What good is a home decorated within an inch of its life if things aren’t organized? Organization and killer decor go hand in hand.  So let’s get started with your office space, specifically your desk.  That’s always the “catch-all” at my house.

Photos (not in frames or pined to corkboard/ memo boards), letters, mail, pens and all the little knick knacks on your desk need to be organized if your office space has any chance of looking ready for business in 2011.  More than likely most if not all of these should be hidden or contained for a clutter free look.  Consider these ideas from REAL SIMPLE.

Another area that can get very disorganized quickly is the laundry room.  Throw a family in the mix and there will be guaranteed missing socks galore.  Check out some of these options from Apartment Therapy to get you excited about doing laundry…well, organized anyway ; ).

And lastly, brace yourself, let’s walk slowly toward your closet.  Take a deep breath and exhale.  How organized is it?  Look at these extra tidy ones.  These guys are major overachievers!  Also, keep in mind that if you hang, fold, and stack your clothes and shoes by color it will look a lot more organized.  That alone will make a major difference.

Best of luck!  Start the year off right and get your space organized! 

 Trust me.  I’ll be taking my own advice…

For more design tips, please visit www.yourcolorvision.wordpress.com.

Secret Retreat Tucked Away in the City

I’ll spill the beans if you promise not to tell anyone…my back patio lol!! Ok, ok maybe not to the masses, but to me nestled on my outdoor love seat, sipping a cup of coffee (or lemonade as I’m frying an egg on the side table in this 90+ degree heat) it certainly is. I have lived here for years and ya know, I’ve never really and truly invested into this space before this year. It was always something that I put off, but I made up my mind that this would be the year that I actually enjoyed the space.

The furniture came from Target and Ikea over the last few years. They actually held up very well. I even left these out all winter and no rust! Don’t try this at home though. The green and blue rug is from Pier1, pillows and cushions from Home Goods and lanterns from Cost Plus World Market. Flowers, plants and trees I got from my local farmers market in Detroit, Eastern Market. I really love the experience there. You can negotiate, get some really great deals and talk to knowledgeable folks who can school you on which flowers to get depending on how much sunlight they’ll be in. They were a huge help to me. I’m almost 2 months in and flowers still holding up well!

Show me your outdoor hide-a-way!

Or do you have one that needs a little TLC?

Check out the before and after pics.

Before

After

After

Before

After

Raynée Crowe, TMF’s primary modern home contributor, is an interior decorating consultant who ironically never considered herself creative, and then one day the ‘ol proverbial light bulb went off.  Her love for mixing and matching colors, patterns and decorating had manifested itself into daydreaming of color swatches, textiles and room arrangements.  That passion and excitement grew and soon it was pure enjoyment as she worked with friends and clients to select color pallets, accessories, furniture and arrange spaces.  Finally she understood the saying “if you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life” and so in 2008 Color Vision LLC was born.  For more information, you can email Raynee at yourcolorvision@gmail.com.

For more great tips and ideas, check out her blog at www.yourcolorvision.wordpress.com.