Does Your Home Have the Winter Blues? Tips for Warming It Up!

Visiting Hawaii over the holidays was very inspiring to me as a designer – tropical décor is of course very popular in Hawaii and in this month’s newsletter, I shared a lot about my trip to Hawaii as well as many great pictures (which you can see here on my Facebook page!).  Below are a few great tips for bringing the comfort, warmth, and a touch of the exotic from the tropics into your home this winter! 

1 A great way to warm up your space is to change the paint!  Choosing a bright coral, sunny yellow or ocean blue color is a great way to add a bold tropical touch to your home decor! 

2  Hang sheer white curtains and keep window blinds open – this allows for more natural light to shine through, which will definitely warm up a space!  (Bonus tip:  install bamboo blinds!)

3  Comfortable upholstered furniture is a must in a tropical room.  Enhance furniture you already have with plush turquoise or coral-colored cushions featuring white seashell or seahorse designs.

4 Display seaside treasures. A great example of this would be to fill a clear jar with blue or green sea glass and set the jar near a window to allow light to come in to light up the glass pieces! 

5 Incorporate fresh tropical flowers and plants into your home décor scheme!  Place bright orange birds-of-paradise and fuchsia orchids in bamboo vases and use them as table centerpieces and wall shelf décor!

6 Colorful artwork, including paintings and room fixtures, can definitely make a room feel more tropical like!  Check out Janie Moltrup Photography – Janie has great floral photographs that would look excellent in your home décor!

For more great tips, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter (click here to do so) and follow me on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/MeredithDesignGroup) and on Twitter (@MeredithDesign)!

Un-Decking Your Halls After the Holidays!

Paperwhites can warm up a home during the winter!

The holidays have come and gone, and by now you’ve said goodbye to the holiday decorations in your home – the trees, the tinsel, the garland, the lights.  Gone, gone, gone and gone!  It’s January 11^th, and chances are you’ve un-decked your halls in your home, and your home may be looking sparse and gloomy without all the holiday sparkle!  Below are a few redesign ideas you can use to warm up your home and have it looking great for January (even without holiday décor)!

-       Very few things can liven up or change a room as much as paint will!  So, if your rooms are looking dreary, pick a great paint and get to painting!

-     Liven up your home this winter by brining the outside in!  A great way to do this is to add live plants!  After holiday greenery is gone, other living plans can really warm up a space!  Paperwhites are a great option (see our picture to see how pretty)!

-       Still want a winter look for your home but not a “Christmasey” look?  Decorate with white!  It gives your home a January look without screaming “holidays”!!

-        Add darker hued accessories to your home to warm it up for the winter!  Colorful accent pillows help as well!  And blankets too!

If you’d like more ideas for sprucing up your home this winter, join us over on Facebook and on Twitter, too!  We’d love to hear about what you are doing to warm up your homes after the holidays!

For more information on the redesign services Meredith Design Group offers, visit www.MeredithDesignGroup.com!

Happy January & Happy Redesigning!

Let Meredith Design Group Help Make Your Holidays Merry & Bright!

Know someone who recently purchased a new home?  Or have someone on your holiday shopping list that has everything or maybe someone who you have no clue what to get?  Why not purchase a gift certificate from Meredith Design Group?

 

Our gift certificates are available in any amount and can be used towards any of our design, redesign or staging services!  It’s a perfect gift for new homeowners, someone who just moved, grandparents, anyone!

For a full list of our services, visit our website at MeredithDesignGroup.com. 

To purchase a gift certificate for your loved one, contact Laura at ljr (@) meredithdesigngroup.com or call 877-.465.4975!

We’d love to help you make this holiday season unforgettable by offering this unique and fabulous gift certificate!

Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests

With the holidays fast approaching, chances are you will soon be preparing for the arrival of family and friends who come to celebrate the holidays!  If you’re in need of a few redesign ideas to make your home holiday-guest ready, keep reading for great tips for fabulous holiday hosting!

 

• Prepare meals to make ahead of time!  You can’t go wrong with simple-to-make, crowd-pleasing choices!  Example:  Muffins and quick breads – quick and easy breakfast for everyone!

 

• If using your den or living room as a group lodging place, you’ll want to create small cozy spaces and build privacy walls by dividing the room with low bookshelves, end tables, and screens!  Simple changes such as these can make your guests feel more at home! 

 

•  If your visitors will be sharing one bathroom, it’s always a great idea to provide a separate space for prepping!  Trust us – your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness! 

 

• To make your guests feel at home, try making individual gift baskets with personal toiletries —towels, small soaps, travel toothpaste, earplugs, and eyeshades. Your guests will love you for this!

 

Remember, when you are hosting a crowd, not everyone can be pleased.  Don’t make things harder for yourself either by making things more complicated than they need to be –a small thought goes a lot further than an impersonal, over-the-top holiday spread!!

 

If you can’t find the time, or not sure how to get started with redesigning your home for the holidays, let Meredith Design Group help!  With simple techniques, we will refresh and create a new look by using the things you already own to help your guests feel at home this holiday season. And for a modest budget, we can enhance your space with color, furnishings, wall art, floor coverings, and more!

Meredith Design Group offers:

• Holiday Staging + Guest Room Makeovers
• Custom Wreaths + Floral Arrangements
• Room Redesign + Consulting
• Décor + Furniture Arrangement
• Color Consultation
• Custom Window Treatment
• Lighting + Placement
• Kitchen + Bath Redesign
• Artwork Selection + Placement
• Professional Photography

We want you to feel welcome in your own space again!  Visit www.MeredithDesignGroup.com  or call  877.465.4975 for more information!

Creating an After-School Haven for Your Family

September has come and gone and your children are settling back into a school routine.  Chances are your evenings are spent helping with homework, going to after school activities and preparing for the next school day!  In the midst of a busy school schedule, it’s important to find a nice place to relax and spend family time together, so why not have that place be your own backyard living area?  With just a few redesigning tips and tricks, you can breathe new life into your backyard and have a great after-school haven for you and your family to enjoy!

To start with the redesigning of your current outdoor area, you will want to begin fresh.  Be sure to clean away any debris, clutter, summertime pool toys, etc that you have lying around.  If it can’t be used during the fall and winter months, put it in storage until spring!  Having a clean area will help you to focus on enjoying your time in your backyard living area, instead of focusing on the “mess”.

Next, focus on arranging your space in a way that is comfortable, functional and simple.  You can update patio furniture by simply replacing the cushions (and after-summer sales are a great time to catch good deals on new patio furniture sets and accessories).  Since the days are getting shorter, it’s a good idea to also add a few candles to the area to increase lighting. 

Once you have your area arranged, now is a good time to add outdoor accessories!  Take a look around your home and see what items you have that you can repurpose for your outdoor living area!  Add some fresh flowers to landscaping (fall perennials such as mums would make an excellent choice) and if you’d like an extra splash of color, add an outdoor rug to your area.

With just a few updates, your outdoor space can become one of your favorite rooms outside your house!  Add in great fall weather and you have the perfect after-school hangout for your family!

If you can’t find the time to create your family’s outdoor living area, consider the low-cost option of hiring a professional redesign specialist for a consultation. For more information on how you can redesign your outdoor living area, contact Meredith Design Group by visiting www.meredithdesigngroup.com or calling Laura at 877.465.4975.     

 

Need More Room? Take it Outside!

Need More Room? Take it Outside!

 

Looking for a vacation paradise, but can’t get away? Think your outdoor space has no personality? Relax. It’s in the back yard—or the front. You can breathe life again into any dead space, and create your new favorite haven.

Winter has said goodbye, springtime welcomes us, and the days and nights are growing longer. We are ready for the fresh air! It’s only natural to want to bring the indoors OUT!

So, are our love affair with backyard barbequing and garden living heats up — it’s time to take it outside!

When redesigning any space, whether indoors or out, it should start with a clean slate. So, first clear away debris and declutter as much as possible. Whatever your style, formal, or rustic, keep it simple. Focus on setting up a space that is attractive, comfortable, functional, and affordable.

Before you start buying, visit your own rooms to shop. Your outdoor haven doesn’t have to be uncomfortable or empty looking. Renew, refine, and redesign your space with a few furnishings and artifacts from the indoors. Repurpose with what you already have. Of course, it’s always fun to buy something, whether old or new! With the selection of one-of-a-kind items to purchase at local boutiques, and warehouse sales, it’s easy to set up a charming space that can serve as your perfect backdrop for small family get-togethers, to a big bash.

Consider how the space will be used, and create a focal point or theme!

For a basic outdoor room, incorporate perennial shrubs and flowers into your landscape design. For maximum color, group interesting containers along with annual flowers for the most impact. Take advantage of a shady tree! Add a small table and chairs for a useful focal point.

Add lamps, candles, or chandeliers for additional light. For a splash of color, add rugs, paint, or new cushions, and mix it up with contemporary artwork. Bring in music for a cozy retreat, or a special event.

With just a little work, your outdoor space of comfort and function could be your next favorite stage for entertaining!

If you can’t find the time to create your special outdoor living room, consider the low-cost option of hiring a professional redesign specialist for a consultation. For more information for help to renew refine redesign your space, contact  www.meredithdesigngroup.com or 877.465.4975!

backyard……to outdoor living!

backyard…  

 

 

…… to outdoor living!!!

 

 

If you can’t find the time to create your special outdoor living room, consider the low-cost option of hiring a professional redesign specialist for a consultation. For more information for help to renew refine redesign your space, contact us at www.meredithdesigngroup.com or 877.465.4975!