From the category archives:

Interior Decorating and Redesign

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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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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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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