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5 Incredibly Simple & Inexpensive Ways to Update Your Home

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Sometimes your home doesn’t need a complete makeover. As an interior designer, I’ve found that a few simple changes can make a room feel dramatically fresher, lighter, and more current—without spending a fortune. Here are five of my favorite ways that I have recently applied to my own home that I want to share with you all. We did end up doing new flooring, but even if we had just hit these top five examples, it would have made a big difference. 1. Change Your Old Hardware One of the easiest updates you can make is replacing outdated cabinet and furniture hardware. New pulls or knobs can completely change the personality of a piece without replacing the piece itself. For example, swapping traditional or dated hardware for simple, streamlined more modern elongated handles can instantly make a cabinet feel more modern. It’s a small change, but one you’ll notice every time you walk into the room.  I did the upgrade myself. Just buy a drill template off Amazon and you are good to ...
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The Biggest Decorating Mistake That Makes Your Home Look Cheap

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Have you ever walked into a room and felt like something was off, even though it had beautiful furniture? As an interior designer, I see the same decorating mistake over and over. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with your budget. The biggest mistake is decorating one piece at a time instead of designing the room as a whole. When every item is purchased separately without a plan ( or an inspirational mood board !) a room can feel disconnected. The good news? It's one of the easiest problems to fix. The links are my affiliate links and I may make a small commission but at no extra cost to you :-)  Start with an Anchor Piece Every beautiful room begins with one feature that sets the tone—usually a rug, sofa, an art piece you LOVE or a statement light fixture.  I did fall in love with the sofa first, but the art piece was what gave me inspiration for the entire room.  I do practice what I preach!  This is my OWN home living room mood board .  Designer Picks:...
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5 Neutral Rugs Under $500 I'd Recommend to My Clients

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When clients ask me how to make a room feel more finished without spending thousands of dollars, my answer is almost always, let's look at the rug. I've seen beautiful furniture look inexpensive simply because the rug was too small or the wrong color. On the other hand, I've watched an affordable room come together instantly after adding the right neutral rug. That's why I tell clients not to think of a rug as an accessory. It's the foundation of the entire space. First: Make Sure Your Rug Is BIG Enough! This is one of the most common mistakes I see. Whenever possible, your area rug should extend underneath the legs of your furniture. A rug that's too small can make an otherwise beautiful room feel disconnected and unfinished. When in doubt, go bigger. Let's start with the rug I just purchased for my new home inspiration . My 5 Designer Picks Under $500 1. My own top pick. (I have in my home) I love this rug because the texture adds warmth without com...
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How to Get the Restoration Hardware Living Room Look for Less

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Have you ever flipped through a Restoration Hardware catalog and wondered why every room feels so calm, luxurious, and timeless? The good news is that it's not just about buying expensive furniture. As an interior designer, I've found that it's really about combining a few key design principles. Once you know what to look for, you can recreate the same sophisticated feel for a fraction of the price. 1. Stick to a Warm Neutral Color Palette Restoration Hardware rooms rarely use bright colors. Instead, they layer soft whites, warm taupes, oatmeal, charcoal, and natural wood tones. Keeping your palette simple allows the textures to become the focal point. 2. Think Bigger Than You Normally Would One of the biggest mistakes people make is choosing furniture that's too small. Oversized sofas, substantial coffee tables, large chandeliers, and tall olive trees instantly make a room feel more custom and luxurious. 3. Layer Natural Textures Linen, boucle, reclaimed wood, stone, l...
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How to Get the Quiet Luxury Look Without Spending a Fortune

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 What Is Quiet Luxury? If you've ever walked into a room and thought, "This feels beautiful, but I can't quite put my finger on why," that's often the feeling of Quiet Luxury. If you find something you love, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. It doesn't cost you anything extra, and it helps me keep creating free decorating inspiration. 🙂 Shop This Look Sofa Accent Chair Rug ( I bought this exact rug for my home) Coffee Table Artwork  1 Artwork 2 (So moody/beautiful off amazon!) Olive Tree   (amazing one off amazon- good price!)  Lamp Pillows Throw Blanket (I have a large knit chenille throw in my living room and bedroom) To me, Quiet Luxury isn't about expensive decor or following the latest trends. It's about choosing timeless pieces, layering rich textures, and creating a space that feels collected, comfortable, and effortlessly elegant. Think soft neutrals, natural materials, beautiful wood tones, and furnishings that will st...
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Why Your Living Room Feels Flat (And the Simple Fix Most People Miss)

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 Have you ever looked around your living room and felt like something was missing? As a designer, I see this all the time. Usually, the problem isn't the furniture—it's that everything is too similar. The room lacks contrast, texture, and personality. Here are the three things I focus on when a living room feels flat. 1. Layer Different Textures Even a neutral room can feel warm and interesting when you mix textures. Think linen, wood, ceramic, woven baskets, chunky throws, and natural greenery. Texture creates depth and keeps a room from feeling one-dimensional. 2. Stop Matching Everything One of the biggest decorating mistakes I see is furniture sets that match too perfectly. Your chairs don't need to match your sofa. In fact, mixing pieces often creates a more collected, designer look. Focus on coordinating colors instead of matching every item. 3. Use Accessories to Tie It All Together Once you've mixed furniture and textures, repeat colors through pillows...
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White Window Trim Vs Brown Metal Trim: Which Looks Right for Your Home?

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Hey Friends! Have you ever looked at a home and you thought "Humm, I really enjoy that look.....I wonder what I LIKE about it?" Well, when I was building our home there was one construction detail that I kept noticing I was drawn to whenever I saw a home constructed with it.  It was: BROWN/BRONZE WINDOW GRIDS When choosing between brown (or bronze) and white window trim, the color of hour window frames and internal grids changes the entire look of your home. White white grids offer a classic, bright appearance, dark brown or bronze window trim creates a bold, modern contrast that frames your view like a piece of art.  Let me show you some windows and you can see what I mean. :-) White Trim Windows (I love the white on coastal homes!) VERSUS Metal or Brown Trim Windows (I prefer this look when doing a craftsman/rustic exterior)   Chester Springs Architects & Building Designers Msl Associates Ltd. Architects Although normally the brown gr...
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