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Lauri

Much Smaller Than A Breadbox

March 4, 2010 Accessories

Whenever I walk into a client’s home and see one of those large floral boxes of tissues in the living room, I ask, “Do you really need to have those out on the coffee table/end table/media cabinet?”
I realize that I sound like a la-di-da decorator but why oh why does anyone require a big unattractive [...]

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My, My Miami

February 22, 2010 Interior Decorating and Redesign

Joe and I went to Miami Beach for the weekend and while we were there we took a walking tour of the hotels overlooking the ocean. Since Joe enjoys interior decor almost as much as I do, he was not only interested in seeing the buildings from along Miami’s beautiful new Beach Walk but also [...]

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Is Your Home Ready For Its Closeup?

February 15, 2010 Curb Appeal

In the past few months Use What You Have has been working with more and more clients who are interested in updating their homes in preparation for resale – when the real estate market strengthens a bit more. Perhaps the fact that spring will be arriving in a few weeks has something to do with [...]

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Decorating On The Radio

February 10, 2010 Accessories

This morning I did a radio interview and was asked several questions that I thought might be of interest to you. Here are a few:
Q: What are some of the ways a kitchen can be improved without spending money, since most people seem to hang out in that room a lot?
A: Clear the countertops of [...]

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About Face

January 28, 2010 Interior Decorating and Redesign

Use What You Have will be unveiling a new website shortly and the pressure is on for me to “get with the program” and sign up for Facebook in order for the new link to work (our redesigned site has actually been ready and waiting for a while). Although I’ve received email invitations from people [...]

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Designs They Are A-Changin’

January 19, 2010 Interior Decorating and Redesign

Everything changes, doesn’t it? Here are 10 ways the interior design industry has shifted over the past decade:

1. There are more home design-related retail stores than ever before.
2. Many trade-only showrooms have opened their doors to the public.
3. The Internet has provided endless resources for purchasing furnishings online.
4. There are more TV programs and catalogs [...]

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Nancy Knows

January 11, 2010 Interior Decorating and Redesign

Have you seen It’s Complicated, the new film from Nancy Meyers?  She’s the writer/director who gave us Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday and (with her ex-husband), Father of The Bride.
In a recent New York Times cover story, Meyers quoted French filmmaker, Francois Truffaut as saying: “Making movies is an accumulation of details.” Anyone who loves [...]

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Another 365 Chances

December 29, 2009 Going Green

It’s hard to believe that 2009 is almost over and the second decade of the millennium will begin in a couple of days.  It has been a memorable year, in many ways, and I am counting all of the blessings and lessons that have made it significant.
Aside from evaluating the past, have you also started [...]

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A Use What You Have Christmas at the White House

December 23, 2009 Accessories

This year the Obamas did things a bit differently than past occupants to decorate “the people’s house:” they decided to reuse approximately 800 ornaments that were left over from previous administrations and sent them to 60 local community groups around the country for redecoration. Simon Doonan, who is well known for his original displays in [...]

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L-Shape Bad, U-Shape Good!

December 14, 2009 Downsizing

If you are downsizing to a smaller home and own a sectional sofa, consider removing one or two armless seats to create a better-fitting unit.
A couple I consulted with last week had an L-shaped sectional that was not working in their new living room. While the sofa was attractive and fit the space, the [...]

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What Trash!

December 8, 2009 Accessories

At this time of year, with holiday decorations taking up lots of space, it’s especially important that we rid our homes of junk mail and catalogs.
There are a couple of steps we can take to proactively prevent pile-ups and save more trees: calling or emailing the senders; asking to opt out of future mailings, and [...]

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Recycling Down Under And Up Above

November 30, 2009 Going Green

When the Union Square subway station in New York was renovated a few years ago, the original 14th Street tile-work was salvaged and turned into beautiful stone-backed columns; each a tribute to old-world craftsmanship. The redesign used what was there to transform the former markers into modern works of art.
Right now, above the station on [...]

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Hungry Yet?

November 27, 2009 Places & Things To See

If you live in the New York area and you’re not too stuffed to think about food, I’d like to share the names of a couple of casual restaurants where my decorator trainees and I enjoyed lunch last week.
The first, Le Petite Cafe on Court Street in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn, has a magical enclosed garden [...]

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Bits And Pieces

November 9, 2009 Interior Decorating and Redesign

If you would like to freshen up your home for fall and the coming holidays, you don’t have to spend a lot of money.
Consider buying a pair of pretty sofa pillows or have some new covers made for your existing cushions. That’s what I did last week: I had some pale banana-colored pillow covers made [...]

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LOVE Before And After Makeovers

November 2, 2009 Living Up To Full Potential

I just returned from the home of a client I’d worked with previously. When I first met the woman, who is in her late 40s, she’d hired me to redecorate four rooms. At the end of her consultation she asked if I had ever helped clients with personal styling, too. I explained that I have [...]

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Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2009 Holiday Decorating

My grand-dogter, Bailey, hopes you have a lot of fun today, too.
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Walking The Line – Straight Traffic Patterns

October 27, 2009 Furniture & Arrangement

Have you noticed how in some homes the furniture is arranged so that the traffic pattern is around the seating area in the living room, family room, bedroom or even dining room?
One easy way to avoid creating an obstacle path or detour is to check where the doorway or entrance to the room is located [...]

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Thank You, Dear James Deering

October 21, 2009 Places & Things To See

Joe and I toured Vizcaya last week. It is the former winter home of James Deering, the industrialist whose family owned International Harvester Company which produced agricultural equipment worldwide. Today, the Coral Gables, Florida estate is a public museum with 34 rooms which are decorated with 15th through 19th century furnishings and artwork.
Here are a [...]

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Does It Make You Smile?

October 16, 2009 Accessories

A client who lives on Central Park West recently mentioned that she’d seen a couple of very cute accessories at Target but didn’t buy them because she would have felt uncomfortable if someone asked her where she’d found them. Tar-jay, a problem? I guess she needs to read Metropolitan Home magazine and check out their [...]

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The New Old South

October 14, 2009 Places & Things To See

Did you know that there’s a shift towards doing a lot in less space? That as a society we are finding we are happier with fewer possessions? That more and more people are cooking and growing their own food, and wellness is more important to most Americans? These are just a few of the topics [...]

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