This post is sponsored by Kleenex, but my love for their Style Studio is all my own!
Kleenex in My Design Studio #kleenexstyle
We all know and love Kleenex as the go-to brand for facial tissue. I have been using Kleenex for as long as I can remember. To celebrate their 90th anniversary, they’re bringing you another innovative first: The Kleenex® Style Studio. It’s a fun, inspiring way to discover more of the Kleenex® Brand designs and products you love. And maybe even a few that’ll take you by surprise.
Kleenex Style in My Design Studio #kleenexstyle
Kleenex has partnered with Isaac Mizrahi to create 4 designs which are intended to evoke confidence and inspiration to help you express your personal style and step out of your comfort zone when it comes to incorporating the latest trends. Exclusively on the Kleenex style finder you can watch videos featuring Isaac Mizrahi where he provides his latest style advice and shares his own experience as a design leader for more than two decades.
#kleenexstyle
As an Interior Decorator, I enjoy having beauty around me all the time, even with the everyday things. These amazing new Kleenex designs help me to do just that, whether I am in the office, at home, or on the go. Using the Kleenex Style Finder I picked out a few of the designs that best expressed my style, and now I am flaunting them and living in style.
Kleenex On My Desk #kleenexstyle
There is always a box of Kleenex, or the very handy and convenient wallet packs within easy reach. The wonderful thing is there is a Kleenex package for all occasions: Kleenex boxes, slim packs, wallet packs and car wedges. So whether you are heading out for a nice evening, or shuttling kids around in the car, there is a Kleenex style and package that will make you look fabulous!
Recently on our Spring Break trip to Dallas, the kids and I loaded up the car to visit my sister. Of course, we wanted to look stylish on our trip, so our Kleenex tissue boxes and wallet packs came along for the ride.
Kleenex in the Car #kleenexstyle
Bag All Packed For Spring Break #Kleenexstyle
Kleenex On The Go #kleenexstyle
We use Kleenex for many different purposes at home, at the office or on the go. Of course for colds and sniffles, but there are so many other ways to use Kleenex
I’ve used Kleenex as a coaster many times before. Because they are so absorbent, one sheet can protect your fine wood surfaces from watermarks
Kleenex As A Coaster #kleenexstyle
I have used them for minor sports injuries, and believe me my son Josh gets plenty playing tackle football
Kleenex For Minor Scratches
We use them to apply and remove makeup….well mostly my daughter, Courtney because I hardly wear makeup
Kleenex Is Great For Applying and Removing Makeup #kleenexstyle
There is always a box by my bedside, in the guest room, in the kitchen and of course the bathrooms
#Kleenexstyle
Kleenex by the Bedside
Kleenex in the Guest Room #kleenexstyle
Kleenex in the Kitchen #kleenexstyle
Kleenex in the Bathroom #kleenxstyle
Why don’t you join me and my family in designing your life with Kleenex Style Studio.
Last Wednesday I shared a little bit about my new role as a Wellness Advocate for doTERRA Essential Oils, and why I decided to pursue this new venture. You can read it here incase you missed it.
There are a few different reasons why I decided to become a Wellness Advocate for doTERRA.
To supplement my income. Although doTERRA is a fairly young company, we are growing rapidly. The integrity and leadership of the founders and the integrity of the products drew me to finding out more about making it a business. doTERRA is a product driven company – we are all about wellness and wholeness, and my personal experience so far has been remarkable. doTERRA is all about making a difference in people’s lives. Watch this brief video to see what this couple’s experience has been
I was looking for natural and holistic alternatives to treating illnesses in my family. I am a big believer that our bodies were designed by God to heal themselves providing we put the right things in and on our bodies. I changed my diet dramatically from eating processed foods and fast foods, to an almost raw vegan lifestyle, where I make conscious choices about what I ingest. I am trying to reverse some of the damage that I did to my body all these years of drinking sodas and over-indulging in empty calories. I witnessed my husband’s untimely death 10 years ago to cancer, and now realizing that the “treatments” (chemo and radiation) were ultimately to blame. I am not suggesting that people no longer follow their doctors’ advice for treatments, but if I could go back in time, I don’t think we would have chosen mainstream treatments.
I was looking for natural alternatives to the toxic cleaning supplies and personal care products that I have used in the past
And finally, my sons ADHD tendencies, and that’s what I will focus on in today’s post
I call them ADHD tendencies, because he has not been officially diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. In fact, my son isn’t even hyper, he has a problem staying focused, especially in school. His imagination is always racing…..he can dream up what I imagine one day will become major Hollywood productions, and he just struggles in school.
This goes back to first grade when he wasn’t reading on the same level as his classmates. Of course as a mom, I felt like I had failed my child. It is not because I wasn’t reading with him at home…..he reads very well out loud. He knew all the words and read at a good verbal pace. It was the comprehension part that they were worried about. We would talk about the stories and what they meant, and sometimes he would get them and sometimes not. I brought him in for extra lessons and worked with the teachers and counselors to move a bit slower with him, but ultimately we decided to keep him back in first grade.
Each school year we would have the same issues, and as he got older, now a 5th grader, much more was expected of him. He even got to the point where he was so frustrated that he seemed to have given up. Homework wasn’t getting done unless I supervised, homework left at school or at home, classwork not completed. A million parent/teacher conferences later and we came up with a brilliant game plan to really hold him accountable. He goes in early mornings before school for extra tutoring three days a week and his teacher and I have a system to cross check homework to make sure they got home, got done, and got back to school……The system works, but it still has its flaws, the major one being, both his teacher and I having to micro-manage him. Try doing that consistently as a single mompreneur
In the midst of all of this, I took him in to see his doctor to figure out how best we can help him. This was a few years ago (maybe when he was in 3rd grade) when ADHD was such a “trend” they would even diagnose an active puppy with it. Seriously! All of a sudden a kid with an active and healthy imagination had some horrible disease that required medicine. His “diagnosis” was based on a questionnaire that both his teacher and I completed. Some of the questions were surprisingly more about our economic status than anything else…..I mean what does my level of education have to do with ADHD? I got another one of those questionnaires about a week ago, just before the state tests and I said NO THANKS! If he fails he fails. All I ask him to do his try his very best. That is good enough for me. I am just a bit over the “box” that they have put my son in all these years. I will rant about that in a future post
After reviewing the questionnaire, my son’s doctor decided to write us a prescription….I cannot remember for what medicine it was, because I flat out refused. I asked if his decision to write this prescription was based solely on the questionnaire and he said yes. I was amazed by that. I decided to change some routines and see if that helped. some did, some didn’t. Consistency has been our biggest challenge.
Over the past year, I have changed his diet to much more healthy foods, but I know that some cheating happens at the school cafeteria. I have gotten him involved in sports, which seems to help his focus and discipline quite a bit. I have limited his video game and TV watching time and finally I have started to use doTERRA just about a week and a half ago as a treatment for him.
Our current doTERRA protocol
After reading this blog post on My Essential Oil Experiment blog by a fellow doTERRA Wellness Advocate, whose daughter struggles with ADHD and Aspergers, I decided to really focus on this as a treatment alternative. She shared her protocol with her readers and how much the oils were helping her daughter.
Source: My Essential Oil Experiment Blog
These are all the oils she uses. I don’t have them all yet, but I decided to start with what I have. You can click here to read her exact system, but I will share what I have been doing so far with my son based on her system
Every night before bed and in the some mornings I place the a drop of the following oils on each of his big toes: Vetiver, Geranium, Frankincense. Why the big toe? Because in reflexology all the nerve points of the brain are connected to the big toe. All these oils are related to brain health.
Vetiver (is a thick oil and should be diluted 3 to 1 with fractionated coconut oil. Also available from doTERRA (3 drops of Vetiver to 1 drop of fractionated coconut oil) – Treats ADHD/ADD
I place a drop of Lavender under his nose and then rub a drop on his back and give him a mini massage
Lavender – Calming and relaxing
Here is some information about Reflexology that you might find helpful. Click here
How has my protocol worked so far?
It has only been a week and about 2 days since I started and I have seen improvements in my son. In the past, he would pick TV time or playing a video game and I caught him reading a few times this week. He rarely reads on his own unless I ask him to.
I also noticed that he seems to be very well rested in the mornings like he got a good night’s sleep.
It has created some great mommy and son bonding time. Josh is now 12 and the tucking in at night ritual had started to get phased out. Now he looks forward to his massages and oil treatments at night. He even brings me the basket of oils. We talk about his day in more depth while I am rubbing his oils on and we laugh a lot (he is very ticklish )
So far it is too soon to tell if he has improved at school, especially since last week was state testing and no homework was given, but I wouldn’t be surprised with his new attitude.
I am so grateful for these amazing oils that are powerful therapeutic grade and are proven to work.
I urge you to take a look at doTERRA Essential Oils as a better way for your family healthcare. You can join the doTERRA family as a Preferred Member for only $35.00 and receive all your future purchases at wholesale pricing. You can also sign up as a Wellness Advocate like me, if you are looking for a very lucrative business opportunity with a strong company. Click here to visit my doTERRA website to join
Before I go, I just had to share with you what someone shared with me when I first joined doTERRA. The income potential is just amazing!
Here is just an excerpt of the caption that accompanied this picture “they were voted Utah County’s Business of the Year (http://www.doterra.com/us/pr11.php). They’re a product-driven company, growing extremely fast, the best compensation plan that I’ve seen, ridiculously high retention/reorder rate, with owners that actually care about us. We get to educate people on the amazing benefits of essential oils and getting healthy.
With these essential oils we are changing a lot of lives, not only from a health standpoint, but financially as well”
I am very happy I joined and I look forward to sharing more of my successes with using the oils with you.
I would love to help you make that change in your life – both healthfully and financially.
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors VeronicaSolomon.com
Please Note: The information I am providing is based on my own personal experience and is meant for informational purposes, and should not be relied upon if you have a serious injury or illness. Please consult a trained professional incase of a serious injury. Everyone’s experience with doTERRA Essential Oils will be different. I am not a doctor nor a trained healthcare professional and cannot diagnose or prescribe medications for you. This disclaimer acts as the explicit waiver of any liability of myself as a Wellness Advocate or doTERRA as a company. Information on this blog has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and products referred to are not intended to or guaranteed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease
We’ve all felt it in one form or another……that ugly feeling of rejection. There is no worse feeling than having your hopes, dreams and even your heart crushed by something or someone you wanted more than anything else in the world.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever wanted something so bad you can taste it? You do everything necessary to make it happen? Sacrifices, dedication, discipline - blood, sweat and tears?
Well I have, and very recently too.
At the beginning of the year (January 2nd), like every other Blogger out there, I wrote about my goals for 2014. You can read about them here. From that long list of goals, the one that was nearest and dearest to my heart was getting published. You see, I was actually very close to that goal and dream becoming a reality!
Fast forward just two weeks later and I got some even better news!…..I was strongly being considered. Wow!! I was sworn to secrecy, but I was so excited, I had to share something with my readers without letting the cat out of the bag. Here’s the post I wrote that exciting day. I was one step closer to one of my biggest goals of 2014!!
Maybe it’s time to give you a bit of background into this goal turned rejection (turned fuel to keep pushing forward)
Late last year, following the recommendation of a colleague who had some success getting an item published locally, I began to look at the possibility of getting a room that I designed published in a national design magazine. I sent out a few emails, and was very excited when I got a response back from one of the big guys in the industry, expressing interest in a toddler room that I designed a couple of years before. This was an Editor/Producer who has had a high success rate of getting articles she submits published in the big national magazines she works with.
She asked me to submit my photographs and explained that the process is a long one with a lot of waiting in between, but my chances were pretty good. I was super excited to hear that from someone who is pretty successful in the publishing world.
She was great to deal with - always very prompt with her responses and kept me up to date with what was going on. She is definitely a good person to know if publishing is your goal.
This is the room they were interested in:
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors
The process is that you send them a few shots of the room and if they are interested they come out and do their own photo shoot and a little bit of styling to appeal to their readers.
This feature would have been a great tool to propel my business forward, both locally and nationally.
As I was researching cool quotes to share about rejection, I came across the Merriam-Webster dictionary’s definition of the word rejection…. “to refuse to believe, accept, or consider (something). : to decide not to publish (something) or make (something) available to the public because it is not good”
The part that hit me is the “because it is not good”? That really hurt my feelings and for a second I wanted to stay in that moment. But I didn’t.
What I did instead was to look at the positives……I mean I still have this wonderful contact in the publishing world. I asked her if it was ok to share some of the other projects I was working on, and she expressed interest in a couple. That’s a good thing!
What also came to mind is all the successful people like Michael Jordan, Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey, who were all rejected several times in the early part of their careers, yet that was more of the motivation they needed to keep pressing forward.
Rejection can be a good thing if you really want success. Not everyone will like or support what you are doing, so you have to truly believe in yourself, and believe you are good.
Amazingly enough, the day after my rejection, I attended the panel discussion with Alexa Hampton, Jay Jeffers, and Michael Imber at the Houston Design Center and the subject of the discussion was GETTING PUBLISHED! What a blessing that was hearing from people who have been there and done that. And as I mentioned in my post just yesterday, I had a one-on-one discussion with Alexa Hampton about getting published. It was very encouraging and inspiring. Read the post here in case you missed it. She had some specific advice for me, and I am already acting on her advice.
Talk about a new outlook!…….
Getting published may or may not happen this year for me, but that’s the beauty about goals, you don’t have to put an expiration date on them. They will happen in due time. Just keep pressing on! Rejection for me has been a good thing.
Wish you all a wonderful weekend!
Be Inspired!
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors VeronicaSolomon.com
Alexa Hampton and Veronica Solomon at Houston Design Center
Have you ever had the preconceived notion about someone without good reason? You expect them to be a certain way and when you meet them they are actually the total opposite? Well that was the case this week when I met Alexa Hampton. I guess because of her major accomplishments and contribution to Interior Design, I expected her to be intimidating, and somewhat a diva. But instead, she was very funny, energetic, charming, self-confident, and really down-to-earth!
Alexa Hampton, whose award-winning firm is based in New York has completed a wide range of design projects in the United States and China, including large residences, apartments, private airplanes and yachts. She is A Perennial member of Architectural Digest’s AD100, and House Beautiful’s Top Designer list, as well as a member of Elle Décor’s A-list. Her well sought after design style in Traditional, Classic and Eclectic has graced the pages of many of these publications, among others.
Alexa has many more accomplishments under her belt including a furniture line with Hickory Chair and a fabric and upholstery line with Kravet. You can view the pieces here in PDF format
Her second book “Decorating In Detail” is a beautifully illustrated book where she shares the development process for eight elegant homes in locations from New York City to New Orléans. Walking readers through each room, she describes how she and the homeowners chose all the elements, from textures to fabrics to furniture.
Her visit to the Houston Design Center this week was very inspiring for me. The first part of the day’s events was a panel discussion about how to get published, which also featured Jay Jeffers (A published Interior Designer based in San Francisco) and Michael Imber (A published Architect)
Panel Discussion at Houston Design Center: Michael Imber, Alexa, Jay Jeffers
The second part of her visit was a more intimate, informal sit down conversation with a handful of Houston Designers including myself, where we had the opportunity to pick her brain about anything and everything interior design. This is where her charming personality came shining through. It was as if I had known her for years. I was very comfortable talking to her and asking questions. She offered ideas and inspiration and even some insider information about the business side of her Interior Design practice - how she charges for her services and dealing with difficult clients.
She spoke a lot about her family and her home, and even the apps she uses and what social media channel she enjoys the most. She gave us all some great advice about seeing ourselves as a brand and encouraged us to work on packaging our brand and heading in the direction of getting published. She had some specific advice for me when she discovered that I write a daily blog. She encouraged me to seek opportunities to write a decorating or lifestyle column for local publications. Now why didn’t I think of that? She is clearly as savvy a business woman as she is creative!
Despite being Interior Design royalty, as the daughter of the late Mark Hampton, who founded the firm back in 1976, I really got to see that she is a regular wife and mom, who has worked really hard for all she has accomplished. It gives a young Designer like me hope and inspiration, that my dreams too are achievable.
You can read more about Alexa Hampton by clicking to her website here
Here are a few of her designs that I just adore
Source: Alexa Hampton
Source: Alexa Hampton
Source: Alexa Hampton
Source: Alexa Hampton
Source: Alexa Hampton
I just love these classically beautiful rooms, especially the last one pictured with the beautiful Gracie chinoiserie wallpaper. Just beautiful!
I just love her work and it was a pleasure meeting her.
This quote by her famous father really resonates with me. Sometimes the profession of Interior Design is seen in a negative light. But those of us who work in this capacity know very well that there is nothing frivolous about Interior Decoration. Each project takes a lot of hard work, passion and dedication.
“We all know that interior decoration is seen by many as a frivolous career full of ruffles and flourishes and preposterous fashion statements. Yet to transform the bleak and the barren into welcoming places where one can live seems to me an important and worthwhile goal in life. Sometimes this transformation can stun the eye, sometimes simply gladden it, but these are not frivolous pursuits.” Mark Hampton
Source: Alexa Hampton
Now it’s your turn:
Is there someone who you look to for career inspiration? Have you ever had the chance to meet that person? Were they what you expected? Please leave me a comment below.
Thanks for taking the time to read about my most recent Celebrity Encounter!
You can read more about past Celebrity Encounters here!
Have a fantastic Friday and do something fun this weekend!!
Be Inspired!
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors VeronicaSolomon.com
A good friend of mine whom I met here in blogland, first introduced me doTERRA Essential Oils several months ago. I had already been reading positive testimonials about other people’s experiences with doTERRA. I was looking for natural, more holistic alternatives to mainstream medicine to support my new lifestyle as an almost-raw vegan. I was very intrigued by all the wonderful benefits of using doTERRA that I was reading about, and so I decided to give them a try.
doTERRA Essential Oils
What is an Essential Oil?
Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. Essential oils are non-water-based phytochemicals made up of volatile organic compounds. Although they are fat soluble, they do not include fatty lipids or acids found in vegetable and animal oils. Essential oils are very clean, almost crisp, to the touch and are immediately absorbed by the skin. Our bodies utilize the properties of the oils to support our good health.
An example is seen if you squeezed the peel of a ripe orange, the fragrant residue is full of essential oils.
Essential oils have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits. Modern scientific study and trends towards more holistic approaches to wellness are driving a revival and new discovery of essential oil health applications.
doTERRA Essential Oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade. They represent the safest, purest, and most beneficial essential oils available today.
You will immediately recognize dōTERRA’s superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective therapeutic-grade essential oils. They can be used for aromatic, topical and dietary purposes.
I was so impressed with how wonderfully the oils worked that I decided to join doTERRA as a Wellness Advocate. Now I have the wonderful opportunity to share my experience and offer these oils to everyone seeking to improve their health.
I have quite a few favorites, but I absolutely enjoy Lavender.
Lavender is great for treating skin irritations, insect bites, cuts, burns, anxiety, as a sleep aid, and for cooking.
Recently I had a rash-like skin irritation on my neck that itched quite a bit. I applied just one drop of lavender to the affected area and the itch immediately stopped. The rash itself is clearing up as well, as I apply one drop of lavender after each shower. It will be gone in no time at this rate. It is amazing how quickly it worked!
I have also been experimenting with different combinations of the oils to help my 12 year old son, Josh, who has ADHD tendencies. He has not been officially diagnosed, but his doctor suggested that could be the case, because of his lack of focus and attention in school. He immediately talked about prescribing medications to which I said NO. I respect any parent who choose this option for their child, but I decided that prescription medication was not right for my son.
I will be sharing more about how I have been using doTERRA Essential Oils to help Josh (Look for a doTERRA post each Wednesday). We have only started this week (2 days ago), so not much to report yet except that Joshua actually enjoys them and says they are calming. Now that is a good word! We have been using the Vetiver, Serenity and Lavender so far.
A fellow doTERRA Wellness Advocate has shared a few helpful blog posts about her protocol for helping her daughter with Aspergers and ADHD. She has reported how wonderfully they are working and that her daughter has improved tremendously, even in school! You can click here to read her articles.
To learn more about doTERRA Essential oils, to purchase oils and to join the doTERRA family, please click here.
You can click here for some recipes and remedies for common ailments using doTERRA Essential oils.
Send me an email or give me a call if you have any questions. Click here
Have a wonderful doTERRA Wellness Wednesday!
Be Inspired!
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors VeronicaSolomon.com
Please Note: The information I am providing is based on my own personal experience and is meant for informational purposes, and should not be relied upon if you have a serious injury or illness. Please consult a trained professional incase of a serious injury. Everyone’s experience with doTERRA Essential Oils will be different. I am not a doctor nor a trained healthcare professional and cannot diagnose or prescribe medications for you. This disclaimer acts as the explicit waiver of any liability of myself as a Wellness Advocate or doTERRA as a company. Information on this blog has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and products referred to are not intended to or guaranteed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease
It seems a new construction community goes up everyday here in the area where I live. of course, with new communities, come the lovely model homes.
Source: Highland Homes Cinco Ranch Katy TX
Model homes are a great marketing tool for home builders. Just like a seller staging a home for sale, a model home is meant to connect with the emotions of the potential buyers and get them to imagine themselves living there.
Home builders conduct market research to pin point the needs and wants of the demographic that they are trying to attract to their homes, and then hire Interior Designers to merchandise the models in a way that will connect with potential buyers.
Source: Highland Homes Cinco Ranch Katy TX
Model homes communicate a strong message of a better value to prospects by the way they are decorated.
Furniture layouts play a huge role in maximizing space. Designers spend a great deal of time presenting model homes as being as spacious as possible. Every square foot counts
Creating the right atmosphere allows the home to be more memorable. Homebuilders and designers are well aware that the prospective buyer is also looking at their competitors.
Interior architectural detailing creates the perception of heightened value and uniqueness.
Creating memory points connects with the prospective buyer on an emotional level
Visual appeal, color coordination, trends, timelessness and classic details help prospective buyers imagine themselves living in the home
Upgraded features allows the home builders to sell more of those upgrades. Prospective buyers tend to buy what they see.
Source: Toll Brothers Cinco Ranch, Katy TX
So you can see that a lot goes into merchandising a model home.
As a homeowner looking to decorate your home, there is a great opportunity of getting great ideas from visiting model homes. After all, they represent the vision and ideas of talented Interior Designers, with well thought out designs. Use their ideas to your advantage, for free.
Source: Toll Brothers Cinco Ranch, Katy TX
I have worked for enough homebuilders to see that with the weekend comes the lookers and the neighbors who are curious to see what the model homes look like. Some are just checking them out to compare value, while others are actually looking for decorating ideas.
Source: Toll Brothers Cinco Ranch, Katy TX
If you are one of those people looking for decorating ideas by visiting model homes, there are some tips I can provide to help you stay focused and actually get some useful ideas that you can implement in your own home, for less.
Visit a community with home values similar to or higher than your home’s value
Look for a floorplan and size that is similar to your home.
Bring a camera and make sure that it is ok to take pictures. Some builders weirdly enough are opposed to people “stealing” their decorating ideas and will not allow you to take pictures.
Bring a notepad to make notes and even sketch the room and furniture layout. After looking at several model homes all day, they will start running together in your mind
Make a list of special features that you like and possibly want to duplicate in your home
Bring a tape measure. This is helpful to measure interesting architectural details that you can scale to fit your home.
Don’t be afraid to ask the Sales person about some of the features, especially names of paint colors. They will often have this information and don’t mind sharing. Usually they are not educated on the source of furnishings or even the Designer of the model home.
Look for a home that has a similar color scheme to what you have in mind for your home. The color schemes the Designers use are usually in line with current trends.
If you see a piece of furniture that you absolutely love and have to have, open the top drawer or look underneath a cushion, and there you can usually find the name of the manufacturer.
If you plan to hire a Designer to decorate your home, have him/her visit one or two of the model homes that you like. That will help communicate your vision to your Designer. Point out the features that you love and most importantly some of the things you don’t.
Notice the scale of the furnishings compared to the size of the room
Notice that model homes are always full of natural light. This is mainly because they don’t use window coverings except for decorative drapery panels or valances that don’t cover the windows. If you want to have the same feel of as much natural light as possible in your home, it’s important to choose window coverings that can easily be pulled up and out of the way.
Notice that even though the Designer w ants to bring in natural night and preserve views, window treatments are still used. That’s a clue that window treatments play a major role in adding softness and pulling a room together
Notice how the accessories are arranged in each vignette. Usually in odd numbers, with varying heights, texture and scale
Notice how art is hung at an eye level comfortable to anyone regardless of their height
Notice that the look starts from the exterior of model homes. Creating a great curb appeal can give the visitors to your home the same welcoming feel. Create a couple of beautiful beds of annuals in your front yard. Create a stone walkway using inexpensive stepping stones. Add a nice seating area on a front porch with beautiful potted plants
Notice the decorating styles and see if that fits in with your lifestyle.
Notice the use of textiles – Notice how patterns and textures are successfully mixed to add warmth and personality
Narrow down your list of favorite homes, and return a couple more times to really sink your teeth into the designs.
Visit on a weekday if possible. Less traffic usually, and you have the opportunity to speak to the Sales person without much interruption
Source: Partners in Building Cinco Ranch Katy TX
Source: Highland Homes Cinco Ranch Katy TX
Hopefully you found some great tips to help you stay focused when you visit model homes for decorating ideas. Sure they are fun to look at, so you want to take your time to browse and take it all in, but don’t forget the purpose of your visit.
The goal is to leave there feeling inspired to tackle your own decorating project.
Do you have new home communities in your area? Do you enjoy looking at the model homes? Have you ever gotten decorating ideas from model homes? Leave me a comment below
Have a terrific Tuesday!
Be Inspired!
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors VeronicaSolomon.com
I was recently reminded about the importance of friendship. Not that I had forgotten, but sometimes we get so busy with life that we lose sight of the blessing of friendships. Especially when our friends are far away.
Many of my new friendships have been made right here in blog land. The amazing people that I have had the pleasure of meeting through technology have all enhanced my life.
Then there are former colleagues like my friend Aimee, who has become a great friend of mine. We laugh about the fact that a crazy, demanding, dead-end job brought us together, and yet we stayed friends.
And of course the very special ones that have been in my life forever!
Speaking of forever friends……….Meet my best friend Stacey
My Best Friend Stacey
This girl has been my best friend since high school – a very very long time ago!
I stole this picture from her Facebook page, but I’m sure she won’t mind
We have seen each other through major life moments as well as the little things. She has had my back many times, and I hope I that I have been the same for her over the years. She is a wonderful person with a great heart, and I am so blessed to have her as a friend
We live in different states, and don’t talk as often as we should, but she will always be like a sister to me, and I love her to bits.
So, if you are like me, you have the sentimental moments where you count your many blessings…..especially the blessing of friendships.
Wishing you all a wonderful day!
Reach out to your friends today, and make sure they know how much you love them and care
I got up today to a dreary, overcast Monday morning here in Houston. If I didn’t know better, I would have no idea that Spring has sprung.
Well that was until I drove up to my design studio…….
What awaited me was the most beautiful burst of Spring I have seen in a long time……..
My Azalea bushes! They blossomed so beautifully just over the weekend!
Oh how I marvel at God’s beautiful creation!
Pink Azaleas at Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
When I first signed the lease in October of last year to my 1905 Victorian, the landscaping looked like a waste land. One driveway later (which I hired out) and laying 2 pallets of sod (1000sf), and planting 15 azalea bushes and 8 knock-out rose bushes (all by myself), I am pretty proud of my landscape. One day I will share those before and during pictures with you (fire ants attack and all), but for now, I wanted to focus on my beautiful azaleas.
Pink Azaleas at Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
Pink Azaleas at Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
I couldn’t help myself but to pick a few buds and bring them inside…….
Pink Azaleas at Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
These little bud vases are actually salt and pepper shakers that I purchased at the Dollar Store for $1 each. I had planned to spray paint them white, but I actually really like the ribbed effect of the glass. So I’ll leave them as is
Pink Azaleas at Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
TIP: This is a great way to bring some Spring into your home for almost free! Look around your kitchen for small glasses that you no longer use and use them as bud vases for roses, hydrangeas, and of course azaleas.
I especially love white roses in small bud vases….even when they dry out, they are still beautiful and make a great dried arrangement.
Pink Azaleas at Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
Even my weekly planner looks attractive with this arrangement on my desk
And believe me, It is pretty scary when you open it
Pink Azaleas at Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
Look at how well the pink azaleas complement my business cards That totally was a happy accident!
Pink Azaleas at Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
Even my Ikea étagère looks great with a bud.
I will definitely be enjoying the views of my azalea buds all throughout the studio today. Makes for a happy work day! Don’t you think?
Pink Azaleas at Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
Wishing you all a BEAUTIFUL Monday!
Be Inspired!
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors VeronicaSolomon.com
As a Residential Interior Designer, there is so much beauty that I get to experience everyday in home fashion and styling. My personal taste constantly changes, although there are the classics that I will always love. My personal decorating style can change from one week to the next. This is what makes me different from other Designers; I don’t necessarily embrace just one signature look – I love and appreciate every design aesthetic, and I am very flexible to each client’s unique needs. So from a mountain lodge to a beach cottage, and everything in between, I craft each space to suit my client’s lifestyle and taste.
Having rescued a 1905 Victorian cottage that is now my design studio, and refreshing it to its former glory, has also allowed my personal design aesthetic to evolve – from traditional with dark cherry woods to light & airy cottage style with a hint of industrial.
During the planning phase, and now adding the finishing touches to this turn of the century gem, I have realized that there are a few things that I am really into, and had to have in this space.
Here is a list of 5 things I am really into (currently, because I know this will change pretty soon )
1. Large Scale Horizontal Striped Walls
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors – Horizontal Striped Walls
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors – Toddlers’ Bedroom with horizontal stripes
I don’t know what it is about large scaled horizontal stripes on walls that totally get my attention. Maybe it is the fact that it is such a big trend at the moment, but still has a very timeless appeal. It could also be because it is simple to do, not very expensive and adds a certain je ne sais quoi. I especially love the more subtle tone-on-tone version, but I also like a bold contrast in certain settings.
2. Shades of Gray
Source: Décor Pad.com
Source: Usestack.com
For a very long time, I was into the Tuscan look with warm neutral colors accented with red and burnt orange for my personal home. But these days I have made a 180 degree turn to cooler, more relaxed and monochromatic color schemes in shades of gray…… all 50 of them . Ok that was a bad joke. I just love the calming effect of gray – especially in a bedroom. Don’t get me wrong. I still love a punch of color. But this is what makes a gray neutral back drop so great. You can then accent with whatever color you enjoy.
3. Open Shelves In Kitchens
Source: TheInspiredRoom.net
Source: Centsationalgirl.com
Source: HammersandHighHeels.blogspot.com
Look at the amazing photos above and you can see why I’m really into kitchens with open shelves. This is a great way to highlight a beautiful collection (which is one more thing I’m into) and a wonderful way to break up the look of a bulky bank of cabinets, and lighten up your kitchen just a bit.
In my Victorian cottage, there is a small kitchen that I am sure is original to the house. My landlord painted the cabinets in a really yucky shade of red and they just don’t look that great. The layout of the kitchen is also very poor and it is sorely lacking in storage. Since I am leasing this property for now (hoping to purchase it next year), and won’t even use the kitchen that much since I am not living there, I was looking for ways to freshen up the look on a very tight budget. Open shelves came to mind immediately and of course repainting the cabinets. I will also add a subway tile or mosaic tile backsplash that I may even cover the entire wall with.
Here is a BEFORE shot of the kitchen.
This is a BEFORE shot of the kitchen in the design studio for Casa Vilora Interiors
Can you see that it needs urgent attention? Right now it is a catch all for all the things I have no idea what to do with. I literally close my eyes as I walk through it to get to the back office sample room.
AFTER pictures will hopefully be coming soon. It’s on my list of projects to get to soon.
4. Collections (White Plates and Ironstone)
Source: RosemaryOnTheTV.com
Source: Burlap and Blue.com
Source: Indulgy.com
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors
I love collections! Whatever is placed in well thought out groupings always look fabulous to me. Blue and white porcelain, a collage of mirrors, family photos in great frames, you name it; grouping them in a collection always has a bigger impact in a room.
I have a weakness for white plates, especially hanging on walls. I have had quite the collection for a very long time, but have only recently started to hang them. My obsession has brought me to the world of collecting ironstone. I only have a couple of pieces so far, but I am really enjoying the hunt.
I am making room in my design studio for future pieces. I had my carpenter build me this plate rack that I hung in the kitchen, and will be painting in white next weekend. I will slowly be adding new pieces in, along with some of my older pieces. Exciting! Take a look
Here is a post I wrote not long ago about my love for plate racks. Click here
Plate Rack for white plates collection for Casa Vilora Interiors
And in case you are wondering how I hang plates on the wall……..
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors
5. Skirted Tables
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors
Source: SoHauteStyle.com
Source: Chic and Glamorous
Source: House Beautiful
I just love skirted tables. They add such a feminine element to a room. I especially love the very tailored box pleat versions. To think that underneath the beautiful facade is probably a particle board skeleton of a table, shows just how a bit of creativity and a fabulous fabric can change the look of a piece of furniture. Click here to see the article I wrote a while ago about my love for skirted tables.
And here’s a BONUS of one more thing I’m really into
6. doTERRA Essential Oils
doTERRA Essential Oils
Many of us are searching for a more holistic approach to self care, aroma therapy, and staying healthy. Essential Oils are gaining in popularity and mainstream acceptance.
doTERRA Essential Oils are certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils. I made the decision over 8 months ago to take charge of my own health and find a better alternative to mainstream medicine and my diet. I switched my diet to almost raw vegan and I never looked back. doTerra Essential Oils is a natural choice for me. It complements my lifestyle in a wonderful way. I recently signed on as a Wellness Advocate for doTERRA, and I am very excited about this opportunity to share my experience with using these amazing essential oils, and hopefully help influence others to take charge of their health with this natural alternative. Click here to find out more about doTERRA Essential Oils and to try them for yourself. I will be talking more about doTERRA in great detail in a future post, so please watch for that.
I have enjoyed sharing 5 things that I am really into. Let me just add that I am REALLY into YOU the readers, commenters and followers of The Naked Decorator. Your support means the world to me
Now it’s your turn! What are some of the things you are into?
Have a fabulous Friday and an amazing weekend! It’s finally Spring, so get out there and do something fun this weekend!
Be Inspired!
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors VeronicaSolomon.com
Have you ever looked at an old photo of yourself and reflect back on where you were in your life at that time?
Does it ever inspire you to make a change to your life as it is now?
I was organizing photos into their proper folders on my laptop recently, and ended up just looking through a bunch of old photos of myself and the kids, reflecting on where we are now compared to where we were back then.
I could see a lot of growth in our life from a lot of these pictures. Some made me laugh a little, some made me proud, and some gave me some fresh new inspiration and a brand new outlook on our present and our future.
This picture I think was taken back in 2008 in my driveway. I honestly cannot remember what I was so excited about. There is nothing really special about this picture, but somehow looking at it, inspired me to be that happy-go-lucky girl again.
It’s not that I am not happy now, but I do remember that back then, my schedule involved a lot less work and a lot more time with the kids. I think that was the biggest thing that hit me after looking at it.
I recall that we had a regular weekend ritual of a movie on a Saturday night, church and brunch on Sunday and activities during the week. We still do our Sunday ritual, but we have gotten away from our movie night. My daughter is now 17 and is at the age where she would rather hang out with her friends - and my son ( now 12)……well he kinda still likes hanging out with me
I am inspired to go back to the wonderful times spent with my kids. I am determined to clear my schedule a bit more and get more involved with their activities. After all, they will be gone off on their own sooner than later, and you just cannot get that time back.
The next time you go through your photo archives, see if you too will be inspired to make a change.
. Ok that was a bad joke. I just love the calming effect of gray – especially in a bedroom. Don’t get me wrong. I still love a punch of color. But this is what makes a gray neutral back drop so great. You can then accent with whatever color you enjoy.
