Decorating tips with Valentine’s Day in mind ...

Color consultations are a big part of my design business.

Here is a taste of some pretty sweet spaces ...

On Lynnfield Patch:  D E C O R A T I N G  W I T H 

C H O C O L A T E , W I N E , A N D  R O S E S

{click here}

A few client “Afters”

Step one: color consultation and linen choices for the bath

Step two: find artwork to hang over the spa tub

I forget sometimes to show what I am working on with my decorating clients, so today I am featuring a few homes that I have helped transform with fresh paint colors, new art, decorative styling or design coaching. The spa tub above needed a piece of artwork that could fill the space and still make sense with the colors in the adjacent master bedroom. The bedding, which the homeowner chose, is a multicolored small print floral (scroll down below to see entrance to bath). I found this large canvas with tall flowers bordering a sandy beach. I like how it references water (i.e. being in the tub or in the ocean) plus the flowers in the painting are shown in the same rich colors that are found on the bed.

I suggested monogramming “his and her” towels
to add a personal touch to the new bath.

A cool blue was chosen for the master bedroom walls to coordinate with the bedding and to add a contrast to the warm wood tones of the furniture and the sandy palette of the bath. On top of the dresser, I created a focal point that would also anchor the flat screen wall mounted television. I added a pair of candlesticks for a touch of romance and to help bridge the visual gap between the television and the bureau.

For this vignette, I chose objects that were a variety of heights, finishes and textures. A painted vintage box acts as a pretty catch-all for small jewelry boxes along with the odds and ends that typically end up being emptied from pockets at night.

HOUSE NUMBER TWO:

A modern light blue-gray wall color was chosen to compliment the more traditional slate covered floors.




An extremely long hallway was given architectural interest by adding crown molding and wainscotting detail. Now the walls are ready for a gallery of family photos. By keeping the palette monochromatic, the focal point is on the master bedroom at the hall’s end, instead of drawing attention to the expanse of walls.

The master bedroom in this home is a
rich contrast of chocolates and creams.

HOUSE NUMBER THREE: BEFORE

Existing cabinets in this home were refinished and given new hardware to match the new stainless steel appliances. By keeping their existing cabinets, the homeowners were able to splurge on a new granite countertop and tumbled marble backsplash ...

AND AFTER

We chose a cranberry, gray and cream colored granite that would pull out the colors in the stained glass door on one of the upper cabinets. The yellow pineapple plays the same visual trick. When you work with what you have, instead of fighting it, the final design looks much more planned.


Learn my decorating tricks ...
Could your home use a little “design coaxing?” Do you have decorating questions that you would like answered? I am going to be presenting a series of evening decorating workshops at TaggArt Studio in Wakefield starting in January. If you would like to sign up, email me at yblacker@verizon.net and I will send you info.

Special holiday shopping event ...
There will be a holiday shopping open house at TaggArt Studio on this Friday night, December 2nd from 6pm to 8pm and on Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Along with fine artwork from studio owner Mary Taggart, jewelry, hostess gifts, and custom children’s clothing and accessories, my friend Beth Hylan will be there with her always creative holiday trimmings so don’t miss out! For more details, click here. I will be sending over some fliers with the information about my upcoming classes, and you will be able to get on the class list by signing up during this weekend sale. Decorating consultations also make great gifts and I will have some discounted gift certificates available for those hard-to-buy-for someones on your list!

Make design decisions with confidence

People ask design professionals a lot of questions. What paint color would you recommend? How can I make this space work better? What type of tile/furniture/window treatments should I look for? The majority of my clients are looking for design direction. They are happy to do the running around themselves, but just want to be confident that they are making the right choices.




The above space used to be filled with toys and bright colors. The children in the home were growing up (pre-teens) so the space needed to do the same. My suggestions included painting over an existing under-the-sea mural with a more mature bluish-gray paint color, then accenting with crisp black and white pieces. Designating certain areas for down-time activities like x-box, foosball, and chess, transformed this “playroom” to “game room.” Time invested? About two hours of design consultation. Then the homeowners were able to take care of the details on their own time.






With just blueprints for reference, these clients wanted to be prepared with new furniture choices when their home renovation was complete. I provided sketches on possible room configurations that incorporated their existing pieces with some new ones. Using these sketches along with images of “what to look for” my clients were able to go out and choose their carpet, two matching sofas and also purchased a favorite piece that I recommended, the Triple Bel Air Bench by Daryll Carter seen below. I love how this traditional piece fits right in with the modern architecture and provides additional seating without blocking the view of the lake beyond.







For this client, just a little freshening up was in order. She brought home some fabric books in colors that matched her existing couch which just needed a new slip cover on the seat cushion. I helped her choose a few that looked good with her chosen colors and then handed the project over to my workroom to complete.



With the leftover fabric, we had a couple of pillows made to update additional seating areas in the room.


If you need a “design coach” to steer you in the right direction, give me a call. I really enjoy teaching others how to make their design decisions with confidence!

Time for a makeover ...

Before consultation: room lacked design details

I really enjoy when I can give my clients the design direction they need to make decisions on their own with confidence. Sometimes just an hour or two of consultation time – plus some follow up emails or phone calls – is enough to make a big difference without having to invest a lot of money.

For this design makeover, a client wanted to update the look of her living room (pictured above) and she had already begun the process with a new sofa and a pair of lamps. She wanted to add more style to the space and pull the look together but wasn’t exactly sure how to go about doing that. We met in her home, I gave her a list of design to-do’s, and she got the job done (beautifully!)

The end result looks modern and bright

Step 1: Color
New paint color on walls: Benjamin Moore Stratton Blue HC-142 (it looks a little lighter in this picture than it is ... always bring a color home and see how you like it in your space with your lighting)

Step 2: Style
Newly painted brick fireplace (white is much more modern looking). Although hesitant at first, she was so happy she followed through with this step and wished she had done it years ago.

Step 3: Contrast
The room was further brightened up with a light textured carpet to contrast with the smooth medium tone wood furnishings, plus a set of white floor to ceiling natural fiber drapes were also added which contrast with the rough texture of the brick.

Step 4: Edit
Less is more when it comes to decorating. Photos were removed from the mantel and just a few pieces were left. My recommendation was to find objects that reflect light.

Step 5: Add a touch of black
Especially in a pale colored room, a touch of black can visually anchor the space. The new black fireplace screen that my client purchased adds character to the overall look of the space.

We have now moved on to tackling a couple of other rooms that were also in need of style updates. I will keep you posted of her progress!

If you are having a hard time trying to figure out how to design a room in your home, give me a call at 617-899-1226 to schedule a coaching consultation. I also work via email for those interested in virtual design plans.

Refreshing a Master Bedroom

AFTER: soft spring green combines with plum, yellow, white
and gray to create a fresh color palette for a master bedroom.

Recently I made it back to check on the end result of a
decorating project that I planned for one of my clients.

Her decorating goal was to freshen up her master
bedroom by painting the walls, adding fabrics in cheerful colors, and at the same time improve the layout while reusing the existing furniture.
I was happy to help!

Here is the before shot of the room: lots of traditional fabrics in neutral colors – black and white toile combined with a tan plaid and medium sized check – nice enough, but she was tired of the look. Accessories seemed to be all in the same color resulting in little to no contrast. The gray walls seemed drab next to the warm color of the furnishings, and the decorative painting over the arched window and doorways did not help to create a sense of calm in this area of rest.

First we addressed the layout. By rotating the bed to the left-hand wall in front of the smallest window, we were able to open up the room considerably. The pair of chairs with ottomans were moved over to the corner making a more intimate seating area positioned by the window for natural light. We moved the television onto a corner unit stand that could now be viewed both from the chairs or from the bed. Two dressers and a favorite curio cabinet also were repositioned along walls more suited to their sizes.



BEFORE: This corner was under-utilized
and the view outside the window was not
as good as the blocked view outside the
palladian window behind the bed.

AFTER: Switching the bed to this side opens
up the space while being much cozier.

In the end, only a handful of new pieces were added to the room including a shapely pair of lamps with the perfect colored shade that I found at HomeGoods, a white ceramic garden stool was brought in to add shine and contrast to the warm woods, and the TV stand is also new (sorry, I did not get a shot of it). Items that were taken out included a basket collection, a small painted table, and the candlestick lamps with toile shades. We also incorporated some larger more graphic works of art on the walls to replace the many small framed prints that we edited out.

During the process, I gave my client a few different options on fabric choices and I was glad she chose this modern twist on traditional. By using a confident mix of bold patterns with predominantly solid fabric choices the end result still has personality, but in a more subdued way. I was also happy to see her “go green” by re-dressing her existing furnishings instead of completely starting over, creating a new look
while honoring pieces collected over time.

Classic styling ...

timeless classics by designvignettes on Polyvore.com

Classic & Timeless by Fashioncoach featuring gold watches

If you are a big HGTV fan (like I am) and just watched the season finale of Design Star on Sunday night, then you are familiar with the winner, Emily Henderson, stylist and author of the blog The Brass Petal. During the last couple of episodes of the season-long challenge, each of the remaining contestants had to share what their future design show concept would be. Emily, who has professional experience styling interiors for numerous publications, proclaimed that her show would celebrate the wardrobe-to-room concept (Domino magazine was famous for this).

While we viewers were all wondering who would win (although I knew from the start it would be her!), Emily was actually busy taping her new show. She has shared on her blog that the final format will be a bit different (since it has been done before by Thom Filicia of Dress My Nest) and will be called “Secrets from a Stylist.” I can’t wait to see what she has to share, especially since I love styling spaces to create visual stories, and I know she will have a lot of great insider info on how to create great looks in
whatever space they throw her way.


Susan Kanoff, Fashion Coach


I still love a good outfit-to-room, however, and for the next few weeks I will be featuring a collaboration between myself and fashion coach, Susan Kanoff, who I met through a mutual friend, Ginny Williams at a recent event. Our first project involves creating a classicly tailored room based on an outfit worn by
a woman who appreciates classic style.

The trench coat above is a stylish solution for dealing with the past few days of cold and wet weather that we have been experiencing here in the Boston area. I used its camel color to define my room in the form of the antique mohair sofa. I used the quilted pattern from the vintage Chanel bag as inspiration for the patterns in the room (lampshade uses cream and tan while the Moroccan table with mother-of-pearl inlay has some of the brown from the leather belt). A black lacquered coffee table with great legs and a stylish silhouette speaks to both the Louboutin shoes and my fashion favorite, the pencil skirt. While the Anthropologie light fixture is on the pricey-side, it is certainly a show stopper, much like the way a great piece of jewelry will often get all of the “where did you get this?” attention.

Next week I will show a room based on Susan’s picks for the back-to-college crowd, followed by some visual advice for decorating with fall fashion colors in mind. Let me know if there is something that you would like to see from Susan, and definitely consider giving her a call directly if you would like expert advice on re-styling your own wardrobe. If you would like your home to look its stylish best, I would be more than happy to help! You know where to reach me ...

The business of design ...

Seated from left to right: myself, Tina Melanson, Ann Chapdelaine,

Sandra Biondo, Rosanne Palazola enjoying High Tea at Glen Magna

After enjoying some yummy scones, tea sandwiches and desserts at last week’s Designer Tea held at Glen Magna (food provided by Harvest Catering, another coincidence) the guests in attendance were able to pose some of their design questions to us. We took turns giving our individual answers to the questions. Here are just a few of the questions with my
(now written) responses ...

Q. When designing for a client,
where do you start?

I like to meet my clients in their home and start out with a tour. Even if they plan to change an entire space, there are always fixed features that will influence the end result. What style home is it? How is the available lighting? What colors are in adjacent rooms? What types of flooring are in the home? What items have they collected over the years? Is there a favorite pattern or color scheme that keeps reappearing in their choices? Really listening to them as they point out what they wish to change and what they wish to keep is the best way for me to get a sense of their design needs. It is all about getting to know what they respond to and then working with them to create a space that feels like an extension of their personality. Of course, a blank slate (like new construction) is always a great opportunity to approach design with a fresh start, but many design reference points are usually discovered in that
first face-to-face conversation.





Q. How do you present your
ideas to your clients?

I usually put together sample boards using graphic design software (Quark Xpress and Photoshop are the tools of my trade) or I will use Polyvore to create a mood board pulling images of furnishings and patterns right from the internet. I also use Icovia, another great online resource, to quickly establish floor plans. I prefer to present ideas in person, however, I am always willing to send a quick email with the design boards attached to answer design questions in a more immediate way. Even with all of these computer aided design tools, I have discovered that lots of clients still love a real hand-drawn view of their future space. When I show an illustration of my ideas for a
client’s space, it is much easier for them
to visualize the end result.



Styling small spaces is always
a fun design project for me


Q. Has the downturn in the economy
affected your design business?

I am happy to say that through client referrals, and with participation in the past few design shows, my business has actually been growing. What has helped me, I believe, is that I am willing to take on design challenges that are big or small. Creating a
“special spot” in a home is just as satisfying to me as redesigning an entire room. It is also a great place to start a design relationship with a new client. I still do a lot of color consultations (which is how I started out 10 years ago), and I also love to spend an hour or two providing mini “design coaching” sessions where I offer design tips that can later be executed at a client’s own pace. Whether faced with a complete renovation or a simple “freshening up” my goal is always to help people make design decisions with confidence.



A notecard I designed to coordinate
with my space at the Danvers show


In addition, as I mentioned to our guests, I have actually been putting a lot of thought into creating other ways to market my design aesthetic, whether it be in pattern design, printed reproductions of artwork, or some other type of creative representation of my design style. Jonathan Adler and Lilly Pulitzer are just a couple of designers who have successfully created a marketable brand out of their approach to design.

And I can’t forget to mention how important this blog has been in helping me to grow as a designer. It is a great way to share what I know about design while actually being able to connect with an audience. If someone gets to know me here, they are more likely to feel comfortable working with me on a future design project. And through blogging, I have made a lot of valuable connections with other design professionals. I actually have some neat collaborations in
the works that I will share with you later!

If you have any design questions of your own, feel free to pose them in the comment section below and I will answer each of them personally or in a post. And if you have an upcoming design project that you need help with, please give me a call at 617.899.1226 or
email me at yblacker@verizon.net

I look forward to any and all design conversations!




Don’t miss out! This is the last week to view
the designer vignettes at Tapley Hall.

A lesson in editing ...

We bloggers always like to start with our “after” photos, like this one taken at the home of one of my decorating clients. What I really love about this space is that we were able to design a newly modern look by incorporating graphic fabrics and subtle colors while still using the existing sofa which was in perfect condition. I acted as “design coach” on this project as my client just needed to discuss her ideas and get to the point where she was confident about her decisions. Being a professional window treatment fabricator and installer, she has seen many beautiful homes (and has helped to make them beautiful!), but when it came time to redecorate her own living space, I think she was just a little overwhelmed with all of the design information that she had been exposed to. Here is the “before” photo of her formal living room ...

In order to freshen up the space, my recommendation was to change the white walls to a soft green. Instead of keeping the traditionally formal, heavily floral window treatments, we discussed creating less complicated drapery panels out of a solid natural linen to hang on decorative wooden rods. The Belgian linen in robin’s egg blue that she found was stunningly perfect, and the soft header looks lush
without being overly dramatic.

I just love the blue and white fabric that my client chose to reupholster what used to be pink chairs. By editing the large dose of pink out of her color scheme, the smaller bit of pink in the sofa stripe
becomes much more interesting.

And finally, she repeated the graphic pattern on a pair of side chairs, contrasting with a blue sunsuede seat cushion, creating a much more sophisticated look to the grouping. Here are what the chairs looked like “before” being reupholstered ...

I really enjoyed being asked to help my client move forward with her decorating project. We can all benefit from another set of eyes at times, especially when we have become so accustomed to our everyday surroundings that we no longer are able
to see what is right in front of us.

When you feel that it’s time to reevaluate your own living spaces, contact me to set up a design consultation (in person, or virtually).

Together we can add a fresh look to an existing space, making it one you will love to come home to.

Email me at yblacker@verizon.net or call
617.899.1226 to set up a design consultation.

Designing your best life

Fashion Coach Susan Kanoff and

Professional Life Coach Ginny Williams

Do you ever feel that life is pulling you in many directions, but you just don’t know which way you are headed? And then to top it off, you can’t imagine what to wear when you get there?? This past Saturday, fashion expert Susan Kanoff and professional life coach Ginny Williams teamed up to present
their best tips on how to get closer to finding the answers in a life changing workshop titled
“Reinventing Yourself from the Inside Out”



These women are truly passionate about helping their clients to make life choices with confidence ... whether those choices involve balancing work and family, dealing with a major life change (or two or three), creating a stylish wardrobe, or just trying to get to the bottom of “what is it that makes me happy and how do I create more of that while weeding out the stuff I don’t like?” I think we all have those days when we wish there were some signs along our personal journey that could clarify things a bit like “Don’t take that job ... it’s a dead end” or “Put that dress back on the rack, you’ll never feel comfortable wearing it and
I don’t care if it is on sale!”

A great example of a stylish outfit that flatters,
worn by audience member Maria Markey.

Some of Susan’s wardrobe staples:
fashion tape to discreetly secure what is loose,
wrinkle spray to smooth things over,
a craft box to store jewelry tangle-free,
and a stylish black wedge to look good on the go.


Coach Ginny with
Kathleen Rose-Johnsen
of KoolKat Design

While a lot of us go to friends or family when we need our most urgent questions answered like “does this outfit make me look ... ?” there are times when a fresh perspective from a non-related person is in order! I have discussed personal goal setting with Ginny on many occasions. She has really helped me to focus on what I want more of in my life. Her ability to ask the right questions, really listen to my replies and then guide me toward finding my own answers has been like talking to a best friend/cheerleader/fairy godmother/emotional therapist all rolled into one! Just following her on Twitter, I am reminded often of how to take a positive approach to facing life’s daily challenges that can either slow us down or inspire us to greatness. And while I have not worked with Susan before (although I would gladly empty my closet and start fresh in exchange for one day of power shopping with her!) I have been following her on Twitter where she links to her favorite places to shop, offers “client” discounts and highlights current trends in fashion.

Susan Kanoff on Twitter: Fashion Coach

Ginny Williams on Twitter: Coach Ginny

More workshops like this will be scheduled in the future.

When someone loves what they do, they are able to share a special joy with the people around them. Saturday’s workshop was a lot like that. I left feeling like I had been in the company of women who really care about helping others to be happy in their own skin, doing what they love and enjoying the journey!

A few years ago, I attended Oprah’s Live Your Best Life tour when it was in Boston. This workshop felt very similar in its ability to uplift and inspire. I will end today’s post with a great quote that Ginny
used to begin Saturday’s event ...

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

– Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love