Skip to main content
Category

Habitat

Work For Pay or Work For Play?

By Habitat

Today is a great day because I have some exciting news to share: I’m finally sitting in my home office.  And let me tell you, I’m loving it.

I started my business between our coffee table and our dining table.  And sometimes with my laptop…well, in my lap.  It certainly was not the ideal background for starting a business from scratch, but hey, grab life by the horns and all that.  So, I plugged away.  I wrote blogs, created design boards, researched, shopped, designed my website (with my awesome web designer/partner in crime-Hey Mike!), from cramped and uninspiring spaces.  Our rental was lovely, but it was never our “home”, and I never got to make it feel like home, because we weren’t there very long in the grand scheme of life.

So finally, after what felt like forever; seriously, felt like forever, we moved into our home.  And I have had so much fun decorating, adding our artwork and pieces we have collected from our travels, and filling it with finishing touches that have caught my eye along the way.  It’s been such a joy to take my professional work and create a home for our family.  I took care of my son’s room first…don’t we all, and then moved on to the shared family spaces.  And finally, my office.

Oh, to have some privacy while working.  To not be surrounded by toys.  To take a phone call in a quiet and tranquil place.  When you work from home, it’s the dream.  I promise you, the dream.

And so, off we went.  I decided to go with built ins, because we plan to be here for a long long time.  So many people don’t believe me!  Mike and I have moved and moved and moved, traveled and lived all over.  No one seems to believe that we actually plan to stay put for a while….maybe in 10 years, they’ll believe us 🙂  So, yes, built ins!  We hired a simply AMAZING contractor, and with my design and his skills, off we went.

It was a slow and tedious process (well…it felt that way-it took maybe 6 total days of work).  But, it stretched out over two weeks. And when you have a toddler to entertain, being house bound for the better part of two weeks can wear on you.  I’m sure Joe (our amazing contractor!), didn’t NEED us to be home the whole time.  But, I’ve been told that I like things done my way, on my schedule, and I like to be involved.  That may be true…but I’m super nice about it, and well, things get done, don’t they?

The work and patience paid off, and I’m writing today, my first blog from a quiet, uncluttered, single use space.  And I’m thrilled.  I figure if I can start a business from my couch with a laptop and a dream…I can pretty much conquer the world from here.

Over The River And Through The Woods…

By Habitat

…To a Cabin in Beulah we go! I spent some time last weekend shopping with a client, and we had a fantastic time. She owns a cabin in Beulah, CO, and when she bought it, it came complete with a variety of furnishings, window coverings, and knick knacks. She told me that she wants to modernize the space….as is, it just isn’t her. She also doesn’t feel that it will attract as many clients as she hopes with it’s current decor.

The trick of it is, she also lives here. This is her primary home, and she rents part, or all of the cabin, to suit her guests’ needs. So, the space needs to reflect her own personal style and taste, while appealing to potential guests. What I love about her…she’s willing to take risks. She is willing to step outside of her comfort zone. She wants to hear new ideas, and create an inviting space that she would never have chosen on her own. She loves everything I’ve done so far, and that is truly a great feeling.

But, what I love most about her cabin is this quote from her online ad:

This cabin is termed “The Giving Cabin” because it is meant to give peace and rest to all who enter and 100% of the profits for the rent of this home will be going toward Murwira Children’s Home.

I think this is simply fantastic, especially during this season of giving thanks and helping others. She is renting out part of her own beautiful home, to make money to give back. I jumped at the chance to help her transform the space.

We are moving towards a warm and inviting color scheme; soft grays and creams with a pop of warm red thrown in for contrast. We’ve chosen rugs, pillows, throws and baskets. We are still working on the larger pieces, and plan to get out shopping again soon. In fact I head down to Beulah this weekend to see the space in person and continue our work. I’ve never been, but I am excited to help such an amazing person turn their home into a place of rest and tranquility, into a place that exists for the purpose of bringing good to others.

When I started this I hoped to inspire others. I had no idea how inspiring they would be for me.

What’s in a Photograph?

By Habitat

This week, I am working on an assignment that is a study in photography, and the elements and perspectives therein. I am thoroughly enjoying this assignment. It is having me take a more technical look, shall we say, of photos from my travels and my life, which requires me to look at them in a completely different way than I have before. And I like it.

What I have been learning this week are the technical pieces of viewing a photo…not taking one, mind you, that’s an entirely different exercise. And it makes sense that you would want to learn how to technically view a photo before learning to take the perfect photo. What makes a photo beautiful? What makes it so you can’t take your eyes off of it? My lesson teaches that the perfect photo captures unity and harmony, wherein each element of proportion, scale, pattern, unity, focal point, movement, and value are perfectly represented. After this lesson, I know that must be true. But I also know that a photo needs life. It needs a subject, it needs to evoke emotion, and it needs to stir something within you. While being technically correct, of course.

What does this have to do with me? As I see it, the same principles apply in my design work. I need to take a blank space and apply the technical principles to create balance and harmony. But I can’t get so caught up in technical details that I forget the human element. How do you use the space? How does it feel? Does it feel like home? If I can unite all of these elements within your habitat, then I’ve done my job well.

I Am A Creature Of Habit

By Habitat

And so it begins. My journey into the career I should have started years ago. Design, decor, outdoor living, staging….all of my creative passion settles into each of these areas. I love texture, color, style, space, and everything in between. As I start to make my way, feet first, into my new career, I am excited to share the designs, ideas and creative notions that catch my eye. But, let me start by telling you how I got here.

I say I’m a creature of habit, well, because I’d had a good thing going for a long time. I’d spent most of my professional career as a Recruiter. And I was good at it. I had a wonderful boss, and each and every time my life changed…moving, marriage, baby….my boss was able to help me mold my career to fits those changing needs. And my life moved happily along. Though I was good at what I did, and had passion for it…..in the back of my mind, I always knew that Interior Design and Decor was something I had to do….some day, some day, was what I always said.

But, change is hard and scary. And if you have a good thing going, why rock the boat? What necessitates change if your needs are being met? Why walk away from something you are good at, and a place where you are well received and well liked….to take a chance?

Luckily, my boss sold the company, and the answer was clear. Change was being forced on me. So, why not bend the change to suit my passion? The Time Is Now.

And so here I sit. My Interior Design Certification underway, website created, business launching. The creature of habit in me thinks….oh wow…so much change…so little time! The rest of me is beyond excited. To finally immerse myself in my passion. To share that passion with others. To start a business on my terms. To do it my way. Habit be darned. Change is good. Change is the spice of life.