“Is Teal in?”she wanted to know.

She went on to explain that she wanted to repaint her Master Bedroom and the color teal really appealed to her.

She just wasn’t sure it was the “in” color to use.

While I generally don’t hand out free advice, I couldn’t resist this one. I told her to forget what colors are “in” and paint her bedroom whatever favorite color she wanted.

It was her bedroom, after all!

A few days later, another acquaintance was lamenting the large amount of dark wood in her home – dark oak floors, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and walls.

Her husband had suggested painting them.

“But,” she wondered aloud, “What happens if ten years from now dark wood is again back in style?”

She wasn’t asking my opinion, so I didn’t provide it, but here’s the thing.

Fads are just that.

They come and go.

What your heart and your gut are telling you – that’s what you want to pay attention to!

Your home needs to be about you and the things you love.

Whether you love teal, or your home is too dark and you want to lighten things up, I say – go for it!

Here’s another example.

When I first met my mother-in-law, she was living in a home that had been custom designed by an architect. It was a beautiful house, with a spectacular view of the distant mountains and Puget Sound.

The architect had designed the house to fit an awkward site. As a result, many of the rooms were small and oddly shaped, although not lacking in comfort.

With a custom house, that’s perfectly OK, because it can be anything you want – the point being that you are doing this for you, and no-one else!

In my mother-in-laws case, the unusual design didn’t faze her a bit.

The family realtor, however, was horrified. She was looking at the future re-sale value of the house, and knew that trying to sell a home with awkwardly shaped rooms would be difficult.

Who would buy it?

My mother-in-law lived in that house for twenty years. She was not concerned about who was going to be the new owner 20 years into the future. Nor was she concerned about that hypothetical person’s tastes or preferences in design.

And that would be my advice to you.

Never mind the current fads, or what’s considered “in”.

Just listen to your heart.

If you’ve ever considered how you might improve the energy in your workspace – whether or not your office is in your home – these simple design suggestions will give you something to think about.

By no means are these ideas limited to just your office – you can apply this to any place in your home.

Do Aim for Clean, Uncluttered Surfaces

We don’t always realize how important it is to have our work areas impeccably organized, with a designated place for everything to be stored.

The tendency is to have little piles on our desk, each one representing a portion of our To Do list for the next day.

Do you really tackle each of those little piles on a daily basis?

I know I don’t.

And yet, I’m fearful of storing things away, being very guilty of an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality.

Here’s the thing, though:  according to Chinese Feng Shui, having too many things on your work surface can impede the flow of energy, or chi.

There is a lot of truth in this ancient wisdom, so take heed.

Clear up your work surfaces, and find a home for all your knickknacks and unnecessary items.

Even better, be sure to extend the effort to every area of your home that tends to collect stuff – be it your kitchen, your favorite coffee table with stacks of magazines and clippings, or a bathroom counter.

Make it a habit to breathe new life into your living and work spaces, each and every day.

Don’t Turn Your Back on the Door

From a purely logical standpoint, it simply feels more comfortable to have a clear view of your office door, so you can see what is going on.

This one simple act can eliminate the sense of someone sneaking up on you from behind.

Instead, try to position your chair so that you sit with a solid wall behind your back, rather than a window.  

According to Feng Shui guidelines, this symbolizes that you have appropriate support behind you.

Use Color to Shift the Energy

Color does wonders for a room!

There are any number of ways to introduce color into your workspace, the most obvious being your choice of wall color and furnishings.

Feel free to paint the wall in your favorite color, or paint just an accent wall.

Whichever approach you choose, be sure to tune in to whatever colors seem to work best for you.

While a brightly painted red wall might do wonders for the energy in the room – if red isn’t a color you normally gravitate toward– that might not be the best choice for your workspace.

For some, a better approach is to keep the walls fairly neutral, then install a vibrant work of art.

Do Allow Proper Lighting

Lighting is important in every room of your home, and your office is no exception.

Not only will you need general lighting overhead, but lighting specific to the task at hand is also essential.

If your office has one or more windows, please don’t overlook daylight.

That said, it’s best to have light from a window hit your work surface sideways, or at an angle – try to avoid sitting with you back to a window, if at all possible.

Don’t Accept Poor Air Quality

Paint, carpeting, furnishings and household cleaning products are among the most common sources for introducing toxins into your home.

Each of these can potentially ‘out-gas’ toxic fumes for months on end, permeating the air that we breathe.

While you may not be able to instantly replace the carpet in your home office, please consider using non-toxic, low VOC paints on your walls.

The beauty of these eco-conscious products is that you can breathe easily in your home within minutes of painting your walls.

Another efficient way to clear the air in any room, and eliminate the need to open a window in the dead of winter, is to introduce air-purifying plants.

There it is in a nutshell – 5 easy ways to improve your workspace.

No, I’m not talking about your home’s electrical output.

I’m talking about your home’s energy, in terms of the positive or negative energy contained therein.

You’ve probably heard that people emit either positive or negative energy – well your home exudes a certain energy, as well.
It may be closely related to your own mood.

In other words, if you’ve been neglecting yourself lately and are feeling tired and overwhelmed, this may have rubbed off on your surroundings. Chances are your home is feeling the same way.

Take a look around you.

Is your furniture looking a bit worn and tired? Are the walls faded and in need of a fresh coats of paint? Do the carpets need replacing?

What about clutter? Do you live in a clean, organized space full of positive energy? Or is your living environment screaming for help, mired in negative output?

Maybe your home needs to lose the ‘extra weight’.

Many of us have the inevitable spare room, where we discard un-used, and un-needed items.

What is the energy emitted from that room? Does it weigh you down or lift you up?

Which would you prefer?

I can speak for myself, here. I know that when I enter the one room in my home that is a gathering place for ‘things that have nowhere else to live’ the instinctive urge is to turn around and walk right back out the door.

So, I ask you, what is the message your home is sending out into the world?

What is your home’s aura?

What can you do to boost your home’s positive energy in 2012?

‘THINK BIG’

My first thought was – “Oh no” – they’ve taken a similar message & have turned it around to say the exact opposite.

But then I read the smaller print, which said:

‘THESE STYLISH, ROOM-EXPANDING STRATEGIES WILL HAVE YOU LIVING LARGE IN SMALL SPACES’

Yes!

I didn’t need to read any further.

You see, I’ve already come up with my own reasons why ‘Thinking Small’ can help you to ‘Live Large’.

Here they are:

1 - Smaller homes are more affordable and require less of everything.

Less maintenance. Less expense.

Need to paint the house top to bottom, or replace the carpet?  What about replacing the windows, in lieu of more energy efficient options?

Less square footage also means lower utility bills. You will even need less furniture!

And because you will need LESS of everything, you can spend MORE on higher quality, and still come out ahead.

Meaning you won’t have to break the budget to achieve an amazing result!

2 – Smaller homes are ideal for Custom design.

Yes, it may cost more, but remember you will ultimately need less of everything, so why not?

This is an opportunity for you to get super organized, so use it to your advantage.

Are you looking for an efficient, minimalist kitchen? Do you need better storage options overall?

By reducing the scale of your dream kitchen, you can reduce the total costs, and instead think bigger in terms of the overall design. You can re-purpose those funds into higher end cabinetry, quality appliances, and clever storage options.

A skilled craftsman can create customized storage that perfectly fits your needs, plus the size and the layout of your home. This includes kitchen cabinetry, and anything else you can think of.

Furnishings can also be customized.

The ideal sofa will not only be perfectly scaled to the size of the room, but it will also be scaled to fit you.  For the ultimate in comfort, luxury and organization, this is the way to go.

In a smaller home, the occasional splurge becomes more affordable. When properly orchestrated, small homes can live large!

3 - Smaller homes let you be more Creative.

The idea here, is to look outside the box.

Choose furnishings that serve more than one purpose, such as a coffee table that converts to dining table height, or  - an ottoman that provides seating, a foot rest and the convenience of a table, all in one.

Likewise, in the kitchen, be sure to select top quality appliances that do double duty. Something as basic as a standard dishwasher, can be improved with dishwasher drawers that can be used simultaneously, or independently – you get to choose.

Learn to think vertically and make maximum use of your space!

Playing with color is another way to create the illusion of more space.

By using a monochromatic palette for the flooring, walls and ceilings you will have a neutral canvas for introducing color into your choice of furnishings and fabrics.

4 - Smaller homes help you appreciate what you have.

If it is in your nature to be neat and organized you are lucky, because when living in a smaller space you will need to pare back your belongings to the bare essentials and get by with less.

This is not a bad thing!

What it does mean, is de-cluttering your life, and opening things up to new possibilities.

It means being more organized, and using your ingenuity.

Remember to take advantage of the current trend for outdoor living. Whether you have a garden, or a patio, use that space as an extension of your indoor living area, and you will align yourself more with Nature in the process.

5 – Smaller homes allow you to support sustainable options on a realistic budget.

Let’s face it. Anyone who has tried to embrace a greener lifestyle already knows that ‘green’ often equates to greater expense.

Well, as mentioned previously, smaller homes are more affordable overall because you simply need less of everything.

So, if your goal is for safe, eco-friendly choices throughout your home, that’s easily attained in a smaller space.

As you can see, it’s OK to think small.

How apropos.

If we do lose power, so be it – if I’ve learned anything over the past few days, it’s that I will invariably get by.

You see, I was traveling this past week.

What was expected to be a brief, 3-day trip to Asheville, NC turned into a full week away from home.

By the second day of my travels, I suddenly found myself dealing with several unexpected snafus – a huge snowstorm in Seattle, which resulted in delayed travel plans, plus a phone call from my son saying he’d been stricken with a severe case of food poisoning.

Talk about the unexpected!

It was time to take a deep breath and assess my situation. In the end, the experience taught me a few things:

A Perceived Setback Could Be a Blessing in Disguise

In my case, while the blizzard in Seattle prevented my immediate return, it also opened up space for an entirely different opportunity. I flew to Austin, Texas instead, where my son was in need of some TLC.

Likewise, the unwelcome snags, or delays, in your home improvement project might actually lead to an even better solution. Rather than fight it, why not go with the flow?

In my humble opinion, things have a tendency to unfold exactly as they were meant to all along.

Prepare Ahead of Time

Chances are the unexpected is going to happen, especially when you travel.

From now on, I plan to pack an extra change of clothes, even if it seems totally unnecessary. A pair of sandals can’t hurt either, cause you never know where you might end up (it was sunny and 78 degrees in Austin).

When it comes to my Interior Design clients, I often quote an extra week or two for deliveries, because things are entirely out of my control at the manufacturing end – and, well, you just never know.

Be Open to New Experiences

I ended up with a completely different flight plan from what I started out with.

As a result, I met a fascinating, elderly gentleman who owns a farm in North Carolina. He explained that the farm was more of a hobby; the crops they grow – tomatoes, potatoes, corn and the like – are all organic.

Whatever the extended family doesn’t consume is then donated to local nursing or retirement homes, places that don’t have ready access to locally grown, organic produce.

The way he sees it, elderly people dealing with various stages of illness need to nourish themselves with a healthy diet – the fewer pesticides and other harmful ingredients, the better off they are.

It was incredibly gratifying to know of such an individual, who unselfishly offers assistance to those in need.

Just think.

If things had gone as planned – if it hadn’t snowed in Seattle, and my son hadn’t taken ill – I would never have met this individual.

Which brings me to this:  the best thing you can do when the unexpected happens is to simply take it all in stride.

Then welcome with open arms whatever else comes your way.

Experiencing warmth and sunshine on a daily basis, in the middle of winter, is a rare treat in and of itself.

However, I think it’s the daily assault on my senses that left me fully awakened, eager to welcome each day with whatever new sensory images might come my way – including an exciting array of foods that thoroughly awakened my taste buds.

From the taste of tropical fruits such as papaya, mango and pineapple, to the daily fresh fish from the sea and the crunch of macademia nuts, it was a delight.

Not to mention the exquisite tastes of thirst quenching drinks made from passionfruit juice and sparkling wine, or cucumber juice mixed with lime & mint, I was in heaven.

As an interior designer, I appreciate beautiful design no matter where it shows up - a luscious presentation of food, for example, with a unique or clever combination of tastes -  this can be a work of art in its own right.

We woke each morning to the song of the myhna bird – loud and cheerful already at 6:30 a.m. Greeted by a sumptuous buffet, we breakfasted on an open terrace, with a view of the pool and the ocean beyond.

We ate all our meals outdoors with the warmth of the sun on our skin and the occasional cooling breezes ruffling through the overhead umbrellas. We explored the local tundra of volcanic rock and coral, and deep red earth, and pristine beaches.

We snorkeled in the warm ocean waters with a colorful array of tropical fish and swam with the dolphins. From afar, we watched the spinner dolphins leap from the water and spin on their tails.

It was a total immersion in Nature, with new sights and sounds capturing our attention each day.

In my design practice, I use what I call the “7 Pennies” – seven easy ways you can update your décor that require little time or expense.

The five senses are one of them, and that’s because designing a home is a visual process, no doubt about it. And when it comes to making a house a home, all five senses must come into play.

Be sure to tap into the tactile quality of the finishes and fabrics you choose. Pay attention to acoustics and take the necessary steps to reduce uncomfortable noise levels. Reduce toxic odors by selecting low-VOC paints and finishes.

As for taste, well – this is where your kitchen can really shine. An efficient, organized layout allows for easy preparation of meals that awaken your taste buds.

You can even pretend you are in the tropics, if you like.

My husband happens to be the skier in our family, and an avid one at that, and so – I couldn’t resist.

Does it fit our décor?

Well, not exactly – although, I did intend this footstool for our Family Room, the most relaxed and informal part of the house.

Plus, the furnishings in this room are fairly neutral.

Which, to me, means that pretty much anything can work in this space.

I also have in mind that this particular ski-themed footstool, is a seasonal item that will likely go into storage over the summer months.

I share this with you today to help illustrate a point, which is the importance of blending the personal hobbies and interests of various family members into the overall décor.

You needn’t limit yourself to just the children’s rooms, the home office or your kitchen.

These small, personal touches belong anywhere and everywhere that your family likes to hang out.

Because this, more than anything, is what adds to the warmth and comfort of this place you call home.

A home can reveal itself in very much the same way. If you think about it, just the act of entering someone’s home can feel like a ceremony.

As you move from room to room the house will continue to reveal itself. There could be a pleasant surprise around any corner, maybe even the kind that takes your breath away.

“Oh, what a beautiful room!” we’ve all been known to say at one time or another.

This is one reason why both designers and architects will typically hold back with their design. We don’t want to overpower your senses all at once.

We want you to take things in a little bit at a time, and take a moment to savor the design before revealing the next surprise.

So take a moment to to ask yourself  – what is the first impression visitors have when they enter your home?

Let’s start with the entry – what I like to refer to as the “amuse-bouche” of your home.

The main entrance to your abode should always say something about the person who lives there, i.e. YOU, so the question is – what do you want your entry to say about you?

You can emphasize either your decorating style, or your personal interests, thus setting the tone for the rest of your home.

Do you collect antiques? Perhaps an antique chest, or table, would be the perfect accent for the entry. Are you passionate about Asian art and design? Then maybe that antique chest should be a blend of East meets West.

Maybe your lifestyle is more casual, in which case you might prefer a simple bench where visitors could rest their belongings.

There is nothing right or wrong here. It’s simply a matter of letting your home speak for you.

And don’t stop with the entry. In every room of your house, you have probably decorated according to your families’ tastes and budget.

Think about what you can add to any of these rooms to freshen the look for the New Year. Will it be a set of decorative throw peoples in a stunning color?

New window treatments?

A sleek new sofa for the family room?

Think to yourself:   what will people experience when they enter my home. How will it unfold?

What will be the subtle ‘surprise’?

It took my breath away, but also filled me with delight.

“What a gift!” I thought  to myself.

Apparently, the ritual of shopping for, and wrapping gifts was on my mind. ‘Tis the season after all.

In the whirlwind of holiday activity, it’s nice to slow done once in awhile and appreciated the simple beauty of nature, or the familiarity and warmth behind our annual traditions.

In a few days, families across the country will be gathered beneath the Christmas tree, enjoying the end result after weeks of shopping and holiday preparation – including, of course,  the unwrapping of presents.

Have you ever noticed that there are various ways to unwrap a gift?

For example, some of us might tear into the package with gusto, leaving a pile of shredded paper and ribbon on the floor. Others are known to unwrap a present ever so carefully, with the intent of saving the paper and bows to be used again next year.

On a recent excursion to a museum, I was introduced to the ceremonious creation of a Japanese scroll painting.

Compact and lightweight, a Japanese scroll hangs effortlessly on a wall. Yet it is preceded by a complex process.

This unique work of art – carefully rolled up and tucked inside a custom made box – is subsequently removed from its’ box in a ceremony steeped in tradition, very much like the unwrapping of a present.

It might surprise you to know the effort that goes into producing this exquisite art form.

To begin with, a highly skilled and respected artist creates the painting, typically applying black or colored ink, onto a silk ground – the equivalent of a Western canvas.

Upon completion, the painting is taken to a master craftsman, whose one and only task is to expertly mount the masterpiece onto exactly the right patterned silk background, thereby creating a scroll.

Next, the painting – now officially a scroll – is entrusted to another artisan, whose expertise is crafting custom boxes.  This box maker will create a perfectly sized box into which the rolled up scroll will be stored.

You might think this is the end of the process, but it isn’t.

The box still needs to be inscribed. This is yet again, a separate artisan who is master of his craft.

When looked at in this way, the entire process is quite humbling. I can think of nothing in Western art that comes even close.

What is particularly intriguing to me about this entire process is the final ceremony of how a scroll is carefully taken from its’ box and just as carefully unfolded to reveal the masterpiece inside.

Exactly like a treasured gift.

Unfortunately, this didn’t go exactly as planned.

In its place, I offer you these timely tips for celebrating the holidays with an eco-friendly twist, based on personal experience and advice I’ve collected over the years.

And if you’re really lucky, the video will still appear sometime this week.

TREES & DECORATION

The prevailing wisdom still dictates that a live tree is preferable to an artificial one, since the latter is made almost entirely from plastics, non-renewable petroleum by-products that can’t be recycled.

The bottom line is that while it can seem wasteful to have a living tree from one year to the next, it is actually more beneficial to the environment, especially if you support what is grown or manufactured locally

Another alternative is to plant a living tree, one that grows in a pot and can be re-planted later – a great idea, but one that requires a lot of acreage (or ingenuity) for the re-planting phase.

Especially if you still have many more Christmases to look forward to.

I literally cringed when I read that I should avoid using tinsel, because it can’t be recycled. In my family, tinsel on the Christmas tree is a tradition that goes as far back as I can remember. When it came to decorating the tree it was always my father’s crowning achievement. He would add the tinsel at the very end, ever so carefully and always very meticulously.

Other ways to invite the outdoors into your home, is by collecting pine cones and branches of holly berries, or whatever else you might find that suits your holiday decor.

If you have children, old standbys like strings of cranberries and popcorn continue to entertain; when the holidays are over these can easily go in your yard waste.

LIGHTS

Did you know that LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are at least 90% more energy efficient than regular incandescent bulbs? Cool to the touch, they also pose less of a fire hazard, and will last for thousands of hours longer than incandescent bulbs.

LEDs are widely available in many different colors, and shapes, and can be found at your local retailer. By switching to LED’s you will save electricity and enjoy a lower electrical bill!

Be sure you don’t throw away your old lights; check your local listings to find out how they can be recycled.

GIFTS & GIFT WRAP

The general idea with the giving of gifts, is to tread light and give less by focusing on gifts that are less wasteful, and kinder to the environment.

For example, you can give the gardener in your life a sturdy, easy to care for plant which is definitely green any way you look at it.

Plus there is zero waste.

Avoid using foil or plastic-coated gift wraps as they are not recyclable. Instead, look for gift wrap that is either made from 100 % recycled paper, or lends itself to being recycled.

Other suggestions range from recycling brown paper grocery bags to not using bags at all. As an interior designer, aesthetics always take center stage for me, so I’m not so sure I could live with brown paper wrappings under the tree.

However, I have been known to recycle gift boxes, which often works in lieu of gift wrap if the outer package is attractive and sturdy enough.

If you want to be really creative, try wrapping your gift with something that can be re-purposed, such as a colorful kitchen towel, or cloth shopping bag.

As for the huge pile of waste, once the gifts are unwrapped, keep in mind that most cardboard packaging and paper can go in your recycle bin, as long as you weed out anyplastic filler.

RECYCLE

So many things can be recycled – trees (which can be composted), holiday lights, batteries, electronics, wrapping paper and of course, food.

For the latter, take advantage of your local yard waste program, and for everything else check out your local listings for various recycle programs.

EAT LOCAL

The newest thing I’m hearing this year, is an emphasis on eating locally grown, seasonal food. In doing so, you will be supporting both the environment and local businesses.

Choose organic produce whenever possible, and you will be doing even more for your health and well-being, especially during a season fraught with temptation and unhealthy food choices.

Whether purchased or homemade, food gifts can be a great idea. As with any gift just make certain it something the recipient would like.

Studies show that as much as 20% of food gifts get thrown out!

As you can see, there’s no need to give up your traditions, it’s simply a matter of tweaking them!