Interior Design 101

So as I mention in my bio, I've been tinkering around renovating and rehabbing homes. Truth is though, no one will care if the walls are new, if the roof is new, if the plumbing is good or the electrical works..if the house has no real design or is designed poorly.

In my business, I come across a lot of people who think if they buy a bunch of stuff and throw it in a room, they've made a home. Tsk, tsk, tsk...what a shame. People see me doing what I do, and always ask for advice. However, I make my LIVING giving my advice and even going so far as to put the space together, so I can't assess your space for free. I'd love to, but...if I did, I'd be broke, and me being broke...is not cool on so many levels. So instead, I've decided to occasionally address random questions I get on a general basis. If you want me to look at your space and give you my opinion or even redesign your space, email me here and we can work something out.

Rule 1- A space should make a statement about its owner.
Often, I meet people who have mismatched furniture, some that is either a hand-me-down or old, some inexpensive and screams cheap and the more current items clash with the old. The only impression someone coming into it can leave with is that the owner doesn't care about what their place looks like, is too cheap to invest in some better quality furnishings, or just has bad taste. If that is the impression you wish to make, feel free. But, it won't help you if you're someone who likes to entertain. Believe me, you and your place are being teased.

Rule 2- Never expect to fully put a room together in a short amount of time.
When people tell me that they have a tight budget, and don't want to hire someone to decorate, I always ask them how quickly they expect to have a cohesive scheme in that area. As a designer, it's my job to work fully on creating a complete space from four raw walls. This can include painting, refinishing floors, laying down carpets, finding area rugs, etc...and all that is timely. The average person works full time, wants some aspect of a social life or time to relax and may even have some time commitments outside of that. The last thing they want to do is try to decorate. So, if you decide to tackle a room, don't expect to have it be exactly as you imagine in the span of a day or two. Some people are lucky, they can go to one store and just get everything and be satisfied, but in my opinion, it's best to take your time. You might get all the furniture from Store A, but Stores B-R might have the accessories that really bring it to life. It may take a while to get it complete, be patient. Otherwise, hire someone and they can have it done much quicker.

Rule 3- Windows need something at them other than paper shades.
Paper shades are for when a site is under construction, not for once you've moved in and living there. They tatter, they lose their adhesive ability to the wall and bottom line, they are ugly. Please, please, please...if you've been living at your place for over two months, BUY SOME CURTAINS! JC Penney and IKEA sell sizes for all range of windows very inexpensively. I see them all over the place and it just irritates me....beyond all reason.

More rules/guidelines to come in further blogs...
Ashley

Hard Times

Hi,

I decided to change up the way my blog looks and restart it, simply because I'm restarting myself. Life is nothing but challenging and engaging, and I've decided that I need a new perspective to match the way I'm going to see things. All that black and dark...wasn't it.

I have been given some big hurdles in my life, moreso than the average twenty-something, and I've done my best to overcome them. Sometimes I've failed, most times I've won or learned how to deal, and the lessons I've learned along the way have helped form me. I've been cynical, naive, angry, frustrated and impractical. But despite it all, I've had big laughs and big tears and can say now that I'd not have wanted it any other way. Each time I get knocked down or kicked in the gut, I've taken in the pain and moved along, chugging to my destination. I've screamed at people I love, kicked holes in walls, stood in the rain until I could feel the water saturating my bones, and I've managed to come up stronger.

This new perspective is going to be shared on this blog, which I will be using as my outlet to whomever wants to read it. I start it out as a woman who has no responsibility to anyone to censor myself, just me and my mind.

With that, I present....me.

Ashley