I’m in the part of my design services where I’m working with several clients who are wanting a refresh in their homes but also wondering if it’s too late to recover or replace that sofa or chair, etc.

When is too late to recover or replace a sofa?

If the sofa springs are hitting you when you sit down, or you realize that you just can’t stand looking at or sitting on the sofa any longer. Or maybe it was never comfortable.

We know that life is short. But let’s be honest. You hate it.

My parents routinely purchased new sofas. This was a necessity since we had very large Great Danes then Mastiffs who were allowed on the couch. This was not a good idea. I do occasionally succumb to allowing my dogs to be on the sofa, but I try not to relent. They are very difficult to turn down, but I know what the outcome will be. More vacuuming and sooner rather than later a new sofa! (Plus, there is no room on the sofa for me ever again.}

Upholstery is not forever.

Re- upholstering something is expensive. The truth is that I did re-upholster my dad’s favorite chair and ottoman. I think of him every time I look at it or sit in it. My Dad had great taste, so it was a classic style and so comfortable. Worth it.

All old or used items aren’t a bad thing. Furniture that isn’t upholstered – like antiques – is making a comeback, like brown furniture, or pieces that add warmth and personality to a home. Think of side tables, sideboards, etc. (Maybe not your grandmother’s antique lamp -you can find a spot for this where only you can see it. Just because she loved it, it doesn’t mean you have to keep it.) I’m talking about pieces that will give your home your own personal flair. It is always my goal when working with a client to keep a room from looking like a furniture showroom.

I like to incorporate something – anything – that makes you laugh or that’s a surprise.

Not a bad surprise, like sitting on upholstery that needs replacement, or reminds you of a time when your taste wasn’t something you were proud of.

It is never too late to make yourself comfortable or happy with where you are in your life. Your taste can change, and so can your sofa!

If all this sounds like you, what are you waiting for?

All the best, Courtenay

I spent seven long years watching my mother succumb to Alzheimer’s Disease. She was quite a fighter. Near the end, when she broke her long silence, looked at me and said… “I don’t want to do this anymore”, I knew she was ready to leave us. I can honestly say I was ready to let her go, believing that wherever she was going would be better than what she was experiencing in her life here. She died peacefully at home with her family around her.

After she was gone, I was ready to do what I do – clean out all the drawers, the closets, the basement, the attic. For me, cleaning up after this long illness felt like taking some control back. And it felt good.

I was doing well until I got to my mother’s closet – the closet that held the clothes she wore before she got sick. My mother hated to shop, so I was used to seeing her wearing the same things – especially for dressy events. She had a dress style that looked particularly good on her. She had this style dress made a few times – in different colors. “The Yellow Dress“ was the first – the one that started the pattern. For me that dress will always be the one that she looked most beautiful and happy in.

So I cleaned out everything around the yellow dress. I left it in her closet for another year. By this time it had become harder to let it go because I was starting to remember her as the person she was before she got sick. The dress was her. Well, if it was so important to me why was I leaving it in this dark closet? Maybe I could make it smaller to fit me? If I could wear the dress, how could I ever forget her? I took it to the seamstress.

It was only when I was standing on the little stool at the seamstress’ shop that I knew I had to let the dress go. It was huge on me. The seamstress said she could not make it fit me. I did feel a bit certifiable. I mean I talk to clients about how to let go of things all the time, and here I was desperately hanging onto something that had to go.

Before I could give it too much more thought, I took the dress directly to Goodwill. I realized that to give it the honor it deserved, someone else’s mother would have to wear it. And just as I had done many years ago, I imagined a child, gazing up at her mother, beautiful and happy in the yellow dress.

My mother died in 2009.
It is 2025.
Yellow continues as my favorite color which I will never look good in.
I miss her every day.

Happy Mother’s Day to All.

All the best, Courtenay

I was just thinking about why I do what I do.

In case you’re not sure what I do and why, I thought it might be a good time to explain this to you.

Now more than ever, “home” has many meanings. It’s not just the physical surroundings. It’s a feeling you get when you walk in the door; a place where you can be you – safe from chaos, and all that is going on around you and outside of you.

You have control over what you see and how you want to be in this space.

What a luxury!

I’m appreciative of this every day in my home. My superpower has been creating an oasis for my family.

I’ve also done this for my clients over the years. I’ve alerted them to many things they never thought of or paid attention to that genuinely improved their everyday existence. I’ve uncovered details they lost track of, and with a bit of tweaking (or a lot) it’s really improved the way they live.

I love orchestrating this for people.

In this do-it-yourself culture (or I-should-be-able-to-do-it-myself culture), it’s difficult for some to admit that interior design isn’t their strong suit. There are so many tips and options – but how to put it all together and make it work is more difficult than it looks.

If you are someone who thinks they can do it themselves, do not call me for help. Please do it yourself.

Working with clients who trust that together we can create a home that they love is the most fun part of this job for me. The creation of a home is magic that can happen when there is a give-and-take of ideas and getting to know how someone wants to live.

I am grateful to all the clients I’ve gotten to know and make this happen for. It’s rewarding. Working together to find out what home means to them is a gift in my life.

My superpower is putting it together to make it easy for them to have their place called home.

It’s why I do what I do.

All The Best,
Courtenay

When do you Need the Help of an Interior Designer?

In the past 15 years of my chosen profession, Interior Design, I find myself being called upon when there is some sort of change coming about in a household – marriage, new home, new wife, girlfriend, divorce, older parents moving back in, children moving back in… I could go on.

The dilemma is – are you ready to adapt your home to your evolving situation? It’s fascinating to me how life keeps throwing us different scenarios about how we might have to live. Are you thinking about all the possibilities?

Being north of 60 has made me aware of changes that might be coming. I thought it might be helpful for this post to talk about the pros and cons of both “Aging in Place” and “Downsizing”.

Things to consider

I live in an old house with twisty winding steep stairways. My workout area is in the attic. I have recently installed some grab bars. They are beautiful brass grab bars. All in-home adaptations have become more attractive. Thank goodness. Nonetheless, the grab bars are an indication that I may need them at some point. I use them for fun right now. I noticed that friends trying to get up or down the stairs (all much younger than me) seem terrified. At least the grab bars are there now.

I didn’t come from parents (or in-laws) who were remotely thinking about moving out of their home to something more suitable for aging in place. I don’t think it occurred to them that it might be difficult negotiating stairs – or even one step.

My dad installed grab bars to get from his den where he watched football up the two steps into the rest of the house. Indeed, my parents never moved out of their home. They were used to the effort needed to climb stairs, and both accomplished this until about the last 2 weeks of their lives. When I spoke to my dad about walking more instead of reading in his chair, he said that just getting up and down the stairs was his exercise. (Double railings on either side of the steps were a big help.)

I have worked with many people who have decided to make the move into continuing care retirement communities (CCRC’s) or over-55 communities. These are usually beautiful and, in most cases, place you in a situation among people the same age. This is not inexpensive, and depending on who you are, may not be such a good idea.

There are new personalities to negotiate living so close together, some new friendships that are wonderful to discover at this age and transition, and some groups that are a throwback to high school in not such an uplifting way. Cliques can happen at any age. This is a bigger factor in the success of this transition than you might think.

CCRC’s and over-55’s are full of design choices – colors, flooring, furniture, lighting – all of which you will have to choose in a very short time. Very overwhelming.

What to bring with you from your old home can be just as difficult to figure out.

And then there is what you will need to add. I have helped with many of these decisions. This can be fun. And emotional.

How do you do it without regret? I’m not sure you can. The idea is to stay forward thinking. Thinking about the possibilities of what’s next helps.

The idea of simplifying life without so much stuff always feels good. It’s difficult to know when the time is to downsize. I know staying close to friends and family is the most important thing.

You always bring your life with you.

Or stay where you are.

Your safety and comfort – emotional as well as physical – are important. Less stuff is always freeing. I’m uniquely qualified to help with both options.

By the way, I probably won’t be moving. Just getting rid of more stuff.

All the best, Courtenay

Those of you who have worked with me, or have been to my home, know that lighting is high on my list of what can make a huge difference in your home – inside as well as outside. My husband will attest to the fact that I’m way too aware of any outdoor light that needs replacing or a new bulb.

That said, it’s almost always the last thing that gets appropriate funding in most design projects.

If it’s a renovation, wiring must get done ahead of time. Planning ahead is important. If wiring doesn’t exist it can be costly to add or replace fixtures.

Furniture might be the first thing that comes to mind when planning your investment. You do need a place to sit, but I would argue that lighting will have the most impact on how you feel when you’re in the room.

The right lighting will draw you to use the room for many different activities, whether it be watching television, reading or entertaining – or just relaxing.

When designing a space, the key with lighting is to think in layers. For example, think about ambient, task and accent lighting.

Scale of fixtures is important. Beware of chandeliers and sconces that are too small. And when in doubt go bigger. Mixing different types of fixtures will combine to make a room more inviting.There should be different options for different moods and tasks.

For example, I love turning on my lamps in the kitchen on cloudy days. They create cozy in any season.

Overhead lights:

The biggest problem with overheads is they make you feel like you’re in a conference room.

At the very least, if you have the 8” cans try reducing them in number and size. Go to 4”. If the 8” cans are a remnant of some earlier 80’s or 90’s design choice make sure they are on a dimmer. The ideal is replacing them.

I pretty much like all lighting on dimmers. Especially the dining room and kitchen chandeliers.

I also like to use up-lights. They create a soothing dramatic scene by creating light from the floor that washes the wall. (Check out the above picture.)

Bathroom and powder bath:

Mirrors should be lit from the sides. Overhead lights above a mirror are most unflattering. I don’t care how old or young you are.

There can be minimal overhead lights in bathrooms, but again make sure they are the smaller cans.

Dimmers please. I promise it will help you to sleep if you use softer light when getting ready for bed.

Kitchens:

This is the place where you can really go all out with lighting.

I encourage a mix of task, sconces, overhead and chandeliers. I did mention my lamps in the kitchen. They create a calming glow in what can be a hectic spot.

What About Bulbs?

We are all used to LED bulbs by now. They have improved but I would do anything to get my pink incandescent light bulbs back! They were so flattering and relaxing.

What you should be looking for is a 2,700 Kelvin (K) LED bulb which will produce a warmer light.

The bottom line:

Lighting creates the mood and your moments in your home. Next to color lighting is an invaluable design element.

Never to be overlooked. Always on dimmers!

When working with an architect, interior designer, contractor, landscape designer, or craftsperson.

I am writing this because after years of being in the position of being a client myself, and now being the interior designer, I realize there are things that might be helpful to a client to get everyone off on the right foot and also have everyone get their desired outcome from the relationship. (I know that was a long, long sentence!)

The goal is to create long, long relationships! Here is the thing – There may be more people not so afraid of embarking on this kind of wonderful creative process. If they had a few guidelines.

All of these points should have a “Try to” in front of them… but here goes:

• Communicate your expectations and desires – as clearly as possible at the time..

• Do some homework. Know what you like and don’t like.

• Take some notes; be willing to listen. You’ve hired an expert and they might be able to point out some things you haven’t thought of. Be flexible.

• The Designer works with many aspects of a project. When ordering things there is also the possibility of error. Mistakes can happen. Having a sense of humor and believing that your designer will make it work is important.

• Don’t allow yourself to be talked into things that you don’t like or want.

• Don’t change your mind constantly. It can be costly.

• Your Designer is only an advisor. You write the checks. You have the final decision.

• This creative process needs your commitment and involvement.

• Keep a positive watch over your project. Always understand that your designer wants to make you happy. PATIENCE!

• Pay on time. If you have a budget, or if your budget changes during the project, let the designer know.

• Try not to rush out and buy things on your own without first talking to your designer. Be responsible.

• Try not to rush on major decisions. It is best to live with paint colors, fabrics, furniture for a bit before making the ultimate decision. Take your time.

• If you’re not happy with the designer’s plans or decisions, make a smooth exit, only after thinking things through. Try to keep the parting harmonious.

• The ultimate goal is to create beautiful spaces that work. A joint effort usually produces the best result.

The best design always happens when there is collaboration between client and designer. When each person allows the other to do their best work, the best work happens.