Every year, the design world introduces new inspirations, and this year is no different, except it seems more people are deciding to adopt some of these inspirations. Some long-standing trends are fading, while new trends are boldly surfacing. I don't buy into all the latest trends. Instead, I focus on the best solutions that reflect the household: their needs, activities, and lifestyle. I also respect the architectural style of the house while adding modern elements. Color schemes, patterns, textures, and lighting should be thoughtfully selected because they greatly affect our psyche, emotions, stress levels, relationships, and health. For that reason, I keep up with the trends but choose them strategically, not because they're the latest craze. It's all about [...]

Hooray! Summer is here! The days are longer and warmer, and my inner voice urges me to open doors, windows, and sunroofs, as well as my arms to bathe my heart and soul in summer's essence.  It seems I'm not the only one feeling this way. I see others waving from their open car windows, neighbors saying 'hello' from their open garage doors, passersby smiling and saying 'what a beautiful day', and so on. It seems June days are perfect for friendly chats, family gatherings, camping excursions, neighborhood potlucks, BBQs, tailgating, gardening, and so much more. Summer invites us to bring friends together and gather on the patio. And whenever friends gather there always seems to be copious amounts [...]

We've all felt it….. as soon as the papers are signed, a strange feeling of excitement and buyer's remorse settles into our souls! It's real. It's natural. The excitement is energizing and filled with a fresh start, yet the buyer's remorse can cause a lot of unnecessary angst. I know, I've felt this many times. It's been eight years since my husband and I bought our current home, and the memory of us passing each other as we frantically tried to establish order and simultaneously asking each other if we just bought the "Money Pit" still makes us smile. At that moment, everything we touched seemed to break, and unexpected problems surfaced faster than we could keep up with, but [...]

  Many years ago, I had a gallery space that showcased the work of local artists. It was located in a charming, renovated district that had been saved from a sad decline. Not only was it a delight to be a part of bringing old architecture back to its glory and bringing area artists’ talents into public view, but it was always a delight to meet and chat with the people discovering this eclectic area of town. My gallery space had a loft, which allowed me to work on interior projects when no one was in the gallery. It was a partially open loft, so I could hear people enter and could quickly leave my desk [...]

Lazy warm days, iced tea, and plants dancing in gentle breezes reset my quiet winter thoughts to high-spirited thoughts filled with copious possibilities. The longer days seem to fuel these thoughts, stirring my superpowers for creating a gorgeous outdoor retreat. The fact that my gardening muscles haven’t been used for six months (or more) doesn’t matter; I’m feeling invincible and ready to bring an oasis to my slowly awakening landscape. No sweat…...well, maybe a little a lot of sweat, but sweating is good, right? Springtime is the time of year that tempts me to scurry off to the garden center without a plan. This is not a good idea, trust me. Yes, it’s true that garden centers can lift [...]

I love color. Maybe that is why I love spring; nature is vibrating with color, enlivening everything, including us. Bright green leaves radiate against dark wet bark, flowers sparkle with dew, the sun seems brighter and the blue sky bluer, everything is waking up and vibrant. The whole world seems happy and is inviting us to join in. So just think, if nature can use color to lift our spirits, what could it do for us when we bring it indoors? Even though our spirits feel renewed when spring wakes up from its winter’s nap, many people tell me they don’t trust themselves to use a lot of color in their home or to select paint colors. They understand [...]

Springtime is rapidly approaching, and we’ll soon be opening windows and doors, inviting the fresh air and longer days to fill our home and our senses. This seems to be a perfect time to give our home some love. Below are some thoughtful ideas that will fill your home with joy and gratitude…    choose a few or choose them all, then watch your home return the love— over and over. Invite friends over. Whether it is a holiday gathering, a housewarming, a home blessing, or just a neighborly drop-in, welcoming friends and family into our home is a meaningful event. It fills the rooms with laughter, love, and camaraderie. Sharing our home is a fun way to feed our home’s soul [...]

That verse was written 2,000 years ago….  yet it still resonates today. How amazing is that?!? It’s also amazing how many interpretations and meanings can be taken from that one verse. One of the ways I see it is that space needs to be at the center of our life in order for us to have room to open our thoughts and discover our true purpose. Yet to have this empty space we need external support. The key seems to be finding the balance with our surroundings so that it allows space for us to grow. I love this, because our surroundings, whether a home or office, shape our behavior, attitude, health, emotions, and mental acuity. I think we [...]

I love the idea of a blog creating a place for us to gather; a place just waiting for us whenever we take a break from our busy day; a place where we feel at ease and welcomed, inspiring us with helpful tips, insights, and morsels of food for thought that we can savor along with our tea (or whatever drink we prefer); a place for friends to gather and have good conversations that honor the beautiful people we are. After all, we are all beautiful and, if you’re like me, yearn for more beauty and harmony in our life. But for that to happen, something must change and change can be challenging since it shakes up our routines as well [...]

“A real rebellion in art would be to show people that there is real beauty and grace in the world.” Photographer Rodney Smith said this years ago, and it has been my anthem ever since. In fact I try to bring it into everything I do. The Redefined Home is my passion because it allows me to bring beauty and grace to others as well. I absolutely LOVE helping others redefine their homes and fall in love with where they live. Where we choose to live touches us in ways we may not be aware of. The purpose of this blog is to open awareness as to how our surroundings shape our lives. It came about as a direct [...]