Longwood Gardens

Every year, come the holiday season, our family takes a trip to what might be one of the most magical places on earth: Longwood Gardens. Since our annual trip is right on our horizon, I thought I’d take a little time this post to tell you about it!

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Longwood Gardens is a sprawling park right on the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania—the property, once a park and arboretum, was purchased in the early 20th century by Pierre du Pont for conservation and ultimately made into public grounds. The park now stands at 1,100 acres of preserved land, with displays ranging from wild meadows to sculptural hedges to Italian fountains to expansive conservatory gardens. We’ve been going to Longwood since my daughter was little. One of the indoor conservatories houses a childrens’ play garden, full of fun tiled alcoves and magical fountains, where my daughter and her friend used to spend happy hours (days, if they’d been allowed!). The old du Pont house has been converted into a small museum with the history of the family and the gardens themselves. For a long time, this museum was stewarded over by one of Longwoods many resident garden cats, who used to lounge around on the marble front steps and soak up the adoration of every passer-by. Seeing that cat holding court was always a highlight of our trips there—he was sure the king of that castle.

Longwood is beautiful any time of year—spring spilling over with new colorful flowers, all in rich greens for summer, in autumn’s finery of reds and oranges in the arboretum—but I think they put on their finest show around the holidays. A Longwood Christmas is a Christmas display like no other, full of hundreds of thousands of sparkling lights, red and white poinsettias, and cups of peppermint hot chocolate (there’s nothing better to hold in your hands on a crisp December day). One of our favorite Longwood traditions is the carol singalong in the organ room of the main conservatory. The conservatory houses an enormous pipe organ—you can take a walk through the towering pipes behind the scenes—and the same delightful organist has led a festive singalong every year we’ve been! There’s a special kind of magic to a place so steeped in beauty and joy. Being there always makes my heart a little lighter.

So, if you’re willing to make a bit of a drive (for my DMV readers), I highly recommend taking a trip up to Longwood when you can! We’ll be heading there soon ourselves. 

In the meantime, I hope your winter months are off to a cozy start—talk soon!

Thankful tidings

Thanksgiving is two days away, and I, for one, am feeling thankful—for my home, my family, my friends, the season, you name it. I know every year Christmas encroaches further and further into November’s territory, but I’ve always found it special that there’s a time and place dedicated, really, to the idea of gratitude, and I think that moment deserves its due appreciation. When we view the world with gratitude, we are able to understand the bounty we have before us, in the form of our loved ones, our connections, the people and places whose presence lends our lives shape. There’s a lot of joy to be found in this time of the year (even if Target has had the Christmas trees displayed since mid-October).

In our house, we take our Thanksgiving—and especially our Thanksgiving dinner—pretty seriously. Preparations are already underway. We’re creatures of habit over here, so our yearly menu is set, and very classical: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes (regular and sweet), green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and a couple of pies, probably pecan and apple, for dessert. In the days leading up to the main event, we’re usually freshening up the dining room, figuring out our tablecloths and centerpieces, and sometimes even pre-baking those pies. The work of a hearty meal is, to be, the best kind of labor—real and present and satisfying, and with lovely results to boot. Our home already smells like cinnamon and pie crust, and the maple outside the window is still clinging to a few brightly-colored autumn leaves.

Starting with Thanksgiving, and moving all the way through the rest of the late fall and winter holidays, our homes begin to reveal not only their comfort, but their utility. We’re in our spaces with more intensity—moving dishes, taking down the spare glasses, standing over the stovetop or the counter, adjusting our dining chairs. Now our home becomes both a place of refuge and a workspace, ready to lend that much-needed extra seat or swath of counter space. 

In this, we might begin to find those places where our home just doesn’t quite meet up with our needs. Maybe our dining set can’t quite fit all our incoming relatives—maybe our living room sectional isn’t as comfy-cozy as we want for our post-dinner TV watching. This is a great test of our home’s capabilities and flexibility, and it’ll reveal both its strengths and its weaknesses.

If you’re finding gaps in your home’s readiness, I’m here to help. Drop me a line and let’s get your home the best space of comfort, and of use, that it can be.

For now, though, our minds are turned mostly to the people we love and how we can show that love—here, through a good meal and good company. I think we’ll start with the pecan pie today. 

I hope your holiday is full of family, friends, food, and peace. Happy Thanksgiving!

Gingerbread

I think, right now, we could use some comfort food. 

To me, there’s nothing more comforting than the rich smell of something baking in the oven, and in that spirit, I thought I’d share with you a recipe gifted to me by a dear friend. This is our go-to gingerbread—perfectly spiced, soft centers, and a great partner for a cup of tea. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks lightly salted butter, softened 

1 2/3 cups sugar 

1 orange, zested 

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup additional for rolling, if needed 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1 tablespoon ground dry ginger 

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

2 eggs 

1/2 cup dark molasses 

1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, add the butter, sugar and orange zest and beat until smooth, 5 to 8 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, dry ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk to blend. Set aside. 

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses and lemon juice. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

When the butter and sugar are integrated, lower the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and when blended, remove the bowl from the machine. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press the first half of the dough in between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second half. This step will make it easier to finish rolling out the dough when it has chilled. It will also mean you only have half of the dough getting warm as you roll it. 

Lightly flour a flat surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the first half of the dough about 1/2-inch thick. Lightly flour the cookie cutter(s) and cut the shapes, making as few scraps as possible. Use a metal spatula to gently transfer them, cookie by cookie, (the cookies should be similar size) to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough and transfer them to another baking sheet. A note about crowding the tray(s): these particular cookies can spread a little. Leave room between the cookies. Better to use 3 baking sheets with fewer cookies than to crowd them on 2 trays. Bake until brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.

I hope you are seeking your places of shelter, love, and security—they are still there for you. Now is a good time to take a second to savor some small goodnesses. Maybe a batch of cookies will help right now.

Vivacious in velvet

When you think of velvet, what comes to mind? The rich red curtains in a theater? The cloak of a king or a queen? A fine luxury item? I always find velvets inextricably woven into images of refinement and formality, circumstances of grandeur. As a longtime theatergoer, I think my first image is those velvet curtains hanging over the stage. There’s something truly special about velvet—all you have to do is touch it to feel a little more luxurious yourself.

To paraphrase the Encyclopedia Britannica entry on velvet, velvet-weaving probably first originated in the Far East, and only crops up in texts beginning around the 14th century. The special richness of velvet—its fine texture, its ability to hold deep color—meant that it started out as a material used for ecclesiastical vestments, royal clothes, and hangings in fine homes. Italian velvets, finest of all, were usually used for ornamentation via variations in the color and pile and by brocading velvet with things like silk or gold tissue. Many a fine velvet artist made a living in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries off of skill with creating beautiful, intricate velvet hangings or clothing. Velvet was born and bred as a luxury item, used to signify status, wealth, and significance. Those associations endure to today—it’s hard to conceptualize velvet as anything short of high-class.

That special status used to make velvet prohibitively costly and demanding (in terms of upkeep) for use in everyday scenarios, like daily clothes or regular home furnishings. But the times, they are a-changin’. New advancements in textile manufacturing have opened the door for fabrics with luxury feel, high-performance durability, and budget-friendly costs. These days, very little remains out of reach in the world of fabrics—even the subtle shine of velvet.

If you want that luxury feel in your home—a splash of rich color in an accent chair, a soft and inviting sofa, even just a bit of texture in your selection of throw pillows—velvet is no longer out of the question. Modern velvets can be made with synthetics, Crypton, and microfibers, which create lovely, rich velvet that’s both cost-friendly and durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily usage! New velvets have exceptionally high Martindale abrasion ratings (basically, a measure of how well a fabric withstands wear), and have inherent water- and stain-repellent finishes to keep them looking fresh. Performance velvets afford you the lux feel you’re after, while also offering durability and affordability.

Velvet furniture remains a staple item when it comes to adding a touch of elegance to your home decor. With its ability to hold bold colors and keep them looking fresh, velvet furniture can make the perfect bold statement piece in your space—think a richly-toned sofa in your living room, or a beautiful armchair by your TV. Plus, velvet’s textures and sheen can enhance the diversity of textiles in a design plan, even without going for a standout color. Looking for a neutral-toned piece that still adds some flair? A velvet pillow or chair in a simple color can fit neatly into your space’s aesthetic while still bringing something special to the table.

Feeling the call of velvets? I can source custom velvet furnishings for you at below-retail pricing, all designed for your specific needs and tastes. Shoot me an email and let’s get started!

Velvet’s place as a staple of elegance is indisputable. And who doesn’t want a little elegance in their life?

A salad for the season

While the leaves have yet to start changing—at least in Baltimore—there’s no denying that the sharpness of fall is in the air. The evenings come on a little quicker now, and the temperatures are leaning more and more towards sweater weather. This is probably my favorite time of year, not only for its particular holiday festivities—Halloween is just around the bend, and Thanksgiving not so far behind—but also for its understanding of comfort and restoration. Now is the time we begin to turn back towards restful, internal tasks. We draw in towards home and family, find our moments of peace with a cup of hot cider and a walk in the changed foliage. Fall is a reflective time of year, and certainly one where we find ourselves in and with our homes more than before. It’s good to return to these things. It’s all part of the cycle.

This time of year is also when, at least for me, those cooking and baking muscles get a lot of exercise. We’ve been whipping up gingerbreads and roasted squash in our home—some of my favorite flavors shine in these autumn months. And with visiting family likely on the horizon, it’s a good time to polish up our recipes and get comfy in our kitchens. 

With that in mind, I thought I’d take today’s blog post to share with you a favorite fall salad recipe of mine, a modified version of a Tyler Florence recipe on Food Network. It’s the perfect lunch, potluck side, or—with the addition of a little protein, maybe some chicken—a light and easy meal.

Ingredients:

Maple-balsamic dressing

• 1 small shallot, finely diced

• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp. maple syrup

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad

• Salad greens of your choosing—we usually do arugula, while Tyler uses endive and radicchio

• 1 red pear, sliced—if you’d like, substitute for a crisp fall apple

• ¼ cup shaved parmesan

• ½ cup toasted pecans—Tyler uses candied pecans, which he tells you how to make from scratch, but I’ve found that there’s already plenty of sweetness in the dressing

Mix up your dressing, toss with your greens, pear, nuts, and cheese, and enjoy!

I imagine you’ll be enjoying this fresh fall salad in the comfort of your kitchen, dining room, or living room—while you’re there, consider the space around you. You’ll be spending more time here as the season turns towards winter. Are your furnishings suiting your lifestyle? Does your art speak to your true tastes? We’ll be getting up close and personal with our homes these months, so it’s a good time to evaluate and make sure your space is really you.

Looking to make some changes? Drop me a line anytime, and let’s talk design!

Wishing you all a crisp and lovely October!

(Image credit: The Food Network, available here.)

Bassett Custom Upholstery

Nothing’s better than a custom piece. What could be finer than something tailored specifically to and for you? Custom products ensure that your needs are met to the fullest—that the fit is crisp, the color a match, the size just right. Much of our modern world has lost the art of the custom item. More and more, box stores and mass manufacturing offer us products that are never quite suited to what we want to wear or use. Anyone who’s tried to purchase a good pair of jeans—especially in women’s, where sizing is perplexing—knows that finding a pair that fits you right in all areas is pretty much impossible. We’re routinely asked to make these kinds of concessions to the slightly-too-big or slightly-too-small, stuck in the perpetual limbo of half-adequacy.

That’s the way of the world, I suppose. That’s not to say the mass-market is entirely useless—it’s sure nice to be able to have some consistent products across every corner of the country, like cleaning products or snacks. But sometimes, you just don’t want to make concessions. And the one place you should really never have to settle? Your home.

Today, in the spirit of embracing customization in your home—to maximize how you your home can be—I thought I’d turn the spotlight to one of my favorite custom brands: Bassett True Custom Upholstery.

If you’re looking for pieces expertly crafted to meet your specific tastes and needs, Bassett True Custom Upholstery is the place to go. With Bassett, you have control over nearly every aspect of your piece: fabrics, sizes, shapes, finishes, arm and cushion styles, you name it. Bassett allows you to tailor your new sofa, sectional, or chair so it lives up to your needs in both form and function. Looking for something sleek and modern in a neutral tone? Or more interested in fun finishes and colorful prints? Whatever end of the design spectrum you fall on, Bassett can meet the challenge. With 500 fabrics, 50 leathers, and COM options (meaning “customer’s own material”—if we can find the fabric, Bassett can use it!), there’s really no limit to the kind of piece Bassett can make for you.

And Woodside Home is here to make that process of customization as easy and fun as possible. Sometimes, of course, the limitless range of customization options can become overwhelming. With so much to choose from, how can you be sure you’re making the best possible call? At Woodside Home, we’ve got years and years of qualified design experience under our belt. We know the ins and outs of navigating wide arrays of options, and understand how to help guide the customization process so you optimize the bang for your buck.

The right custom piece can really make a space in your home, whether it be that perfectly-sized sectional or the coziest reading-nook armchair.  Bassett Custom Upholstery, with a little help from Woodside Home, can make that happen. Send me an email if you’re ready to put together the perfect piece! I’d love to chat.

Embrace the comfort of furniture made just for you. You deserve it.

Planters for the harvest season

While Baltimore might cling still to its dregs of summer, there’s no denying that fall is moving among us. There’s a little bit of bite to the air, a sharper cadence to the blue sky. Personally, while I’ve enjoyed summer’s respite, I’m ready for the turn of the seasons—the changing palette of auburns and golds, the coming holidays, the impending home stretch of baseball season (where I certainly hope to see our Orioles!). These slow and subtle shifts are easing us into the next phase of the year, where we start to cozy up in our homes a little more, and enjoy the peaceful productivity of our harvest season.

It’s about this time of year that I always find myself working on our planters—we have a set of them out front of our row house, and I consider these small displays a proud community contribution, a way to help enrich our little street. I like to get a little creative with these planters, and so today, in the spirit of fall and the harvest, I thought I’d share with you a few fun tips for making a unique sort of fall planter: one that’s fully edible!

It’s always fun to craft your planters for both form and function—edible planters can provide you with a fresh and festive look while also enriching your upcoming meals. And hey, even if these edible plants aren’t necessarily ones you might find gracing your dinner table, it’s still a neat concept to work off of. Sometimes, guardrails help exercise our creativity.

So, a few thoughts on edible fall planter options:

1. Marigolds

Marigolds are the perfect fall floral accessory. Their rich, painterly hues—goldenrod, maroon, orange, butter yellow—are suited marvelously to fall’s scenery, and they’re hearty enough to take on a little bit of fall frost. Plus, marigolds are an excellent pest-repellent, so they’ll help keep your planters sharp and unchewed. And marigolds are edible! They make a gorgeous garnish, and themselves have a unique flavor you can mix into your meals.

2. Herbs (Dill, Chive, and Parsley)

When designing planters, it’s important to consider texture in conjunction with color. And personally, I think there’s no broader spectrum of texture than that you find among your common garden herbs! The soft, feathery fronds of dill; the curls and paper-snowflake edges of parsley; the lanky stalks of chive (we have a planter shaped like a bust of a head, and chive works very nicely as some wild green hair!). Besides, what better enhancement to your cooking—a breakfast omelet, or a beef stew—than herbs fresh from your very own garden?

3. Leafy Greens (like Swiss Chard)

With its colorful stalks and broad leaves, Swiss chard makes a great addition to your fall planter set. The bright tones of the stalks—usually a beetroot red or a sunflower yellow—add a pop of fresh color, and, when sauteed, Swiss chard makes an excellent accompanying side dish for any main course. We like to cook up some fresh scallops and serve them on a bed of sauteed Swiss chard as a special meal!

Your fall planters can add a lot of character to your home. And fall is when we begin to draw inward and turn towards our interior spaces—our kitchens, our living rooms—which makes it a perfect time to pay some thoughtful attention to those spaces, treat them with intention, the way we treat our new planters. 

Are you ready to shape your home to your perfect fit? Drop me a line and let’s talk! We can make your home as fresh and lovely as those new planters.

I think it’s time to enjoy some hot tea, a good book, and leave some windows open for that crisp fall breeze. Or maybe, I’ll run down to the plant store myself, and start working on my planters!

Schooltime rituals

While I’m reluctant to admit it, summer is drawing to a close. Even if the next season promises all its unique delights—warm baked goods, the impending holidays, the changing leaves—it’s still hard to leave what was behind. Especially summer, with all its freedoms, its laity, its time to just be. Now we turn the calendar pages and ready ourselves for the things to come, not the least of which, for many, is school.

Even though those particular years are over in our house—at least, maybe over until my daughter gets into graduate school—I still remember them so clearly. School-supply shopping was the defining ritual of August, or earlier, if the list was available. We’d get an email from the school with an outline of the necessities: always paper and pencils, folders and notebooks. In elementary school, scissors, glue, crayons, colored paper. In middle, more composition books. In high school, more binders, planners, a protractor, a compass. We’d head to the Target in Ellicott City, ready to pick up the tools of an education to come, and ready to curate a tasteful palette of folders and notebooks to suit whatever my daughter’s current taste was. In the early years, those folders with pictures of puppies and bunnies were highly coveted—by high school and college, mostly crisp black and white tools, and a boatload of red pens for editing her essays and short stories and physics homework. 

The minutiae changed, but the ritual remained, in essence, the same. We were embarking, in that moment, together, on the next chapter of growth—the class schedules and prospective teachers already swirling in the mind, the upcoming school plays rich with possibility, excitement. After a summer of good rest and recovery, this season inspired new, exciting energy. We were ready to face those coming months, hectic as they no doubt would always be. With our carefully selected tools of the trade—with some fun erasers thrown in as a treat—there was no goal too outstanding, no challenge too great.

I think there are a lot of rituals in our lives associated with this particular seasonal juncture. Fall is a time of return—summer sends us boldly into the world, into pools and parks, and fall turns down the thermostat a little and encourages us to come back, stay a while, focus our growing attention on our immediate circumstances, ourselves, our families, our homes. When we find ourselves tilting back towards orange leaves and shorter days, we’re more and more called back to the usual routines of our lives, often laid aside for these vacation-filled summer months. And after all the wild fun, there is something inherently comfortable about finding that our routines, our ways of being, are still there, ready for us to circle back. Each season gives us something to carry to the next one. Summer, for me, inspires a pleasantly worn-out return to medians—the kind of satisfying homecoming you feel after a day at the pool, or a long walk.

When we start to turn our minds back towards our homes, we find ourselves at the perfect juncture to really consider our spaces and the way we live in it. It’s important that the place you’re coming back to—the place you’ll be spending more and more time in, as the weather starts to sneak towards the distant winter—is a place where you can ease into yourself, feel totally embraced and accepted. This means curating a home that speaks to you—a home that, really, is you.

Woodside Home would love to make that happen. If you’re ready to take your space to the next level of authenticity, drop me a line. I’m here to talk.

So, this year, no new school supplies—no trip to Target to peruse the aisles of graphing calculators and three-ring binders. But I think I’ll still celebrate the turn of the season with a little home ritual of our own: thinking about our fall planters. I hope you have a lovely tail-end of your summer!

Play ball

August is a slow-down time of summer. I think “dog days” is the perfect phrase for this portion of the year—the air gets dense the way the hours do, stretching into these long, sleepy afternoons, where the best course of action is to take a lie-down out back or enjoy a cup of iced tea, the condensate cool on the side of the glass. The way you feel these weeks always conjures to my mind some old hound dog lazing on a back porch (though sure, maybe the name influences the image, and not the other way around). The most important part of this season, for me—and really, so much of summer—is baseball.

For those of you who aren’t aware, I’m a baseball fanatic. I’ve been an Orioles fan since I moved to Maryland—I’ve seen the bad years (and boy, were they bad), and I’ve seen the good years, the Cal Ripken Jr. and Brady Anderson years, some of the best baseball you could watch. These last two years have been, I’d say, pretty darn good years for the Orioles. We’ve got Gunnar Henderson (and all due respect to Yankees fans, but he’s my MVP pick over Aaron Judge any day), Adley Rutschmann, Anthony Santander, Cedric Mullins, Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez—plus, the wild assortment of rookie talent that just never seems to quit. Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday—what more could we ask of a team? 

Excuse my rambling here. Players aside, I consider a trip to Camden Yards one of the finest experiences available to anyone around Baltimore in the summer. There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a ballpark: those big soft pretzels and ballpark fries with Old Bay and vinegar, the vantage point from the third tier railing where the game is so immediate, the cheering (and occasional booing) across the stands. I’ll happily say that many of our summer days have been spent at the park, enjoying the richness and energy of that particular atmosphere, watching the Orioles battle it out, to varying degrees of success. Even in lost games you’ll find something, some moment, some individual success, to root for. It’s always fun.

And after the game, of course, is the coming home. The evening games end well after dark, and the world, outside of the Camden traffic, gets a little quieter. People pull inside, dip the blinds, turn on the kitchen lights, cozy up for another warm summer night. There are a lot of lovely feelings, but one of the finest is returning to your own space, your own habitat, with the good exhaustion of a ball game behind you. 

Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, there’s always something you’re coming home from—maybe a concert, or a movie, or a night out with friends and loved ones. Isn’t it nice, to kick off your shoes, throw on your pajamas, settle comfortably into a place of absolute ease? Home is always there, waiting patiently for your return. If there’s anything I want to do, it’s make sure that your home is exactly that kind of sanctuary, ready to open its arms again when you come back.

Are you looking to find that feeling in your space? Drop me a line—I’d love to help you find the best version of your home.

All said, there’s another game on tonight—the Nationals are coming to town, and it’s time to give them the Birdland reception. I’ll be tuning in from home, this time. For all of you, I hope you have a restful, rejuvenating August. Go O’s!

A high summer treat

Welcome to the sweltering dome of high summer—the palette of the world has been upped a few degrees in saturation. I’m leaning more or less consistently on the blessing of AC, but I do relish a foray into the dense heat of Baltimore, especially to do a little grilling or to venture out to one of the many brilliant farmers’ markets scattered throughout the city. Around this time is when our little back garden really gets going. We’ll have fresh crops of tomatoes and cucumbers for sandwiches and salads (or just snacking), and a wealth of fresh herbs for any dish we could want to make. Pair a fresh cucumber salad with some sun tea and lemonade, add a good book, and you’ve got the makings of my favorite kind of summer indulgence.

It’s a lazy, slow-down, take-it-in time of year, and there are a thousand perfect ways to savor it. Today, I figured I’d let you go enjoy that sweet July indolence, and leave you with a recipe for one of my favorite summer meals, best composed of some of those prime July tomatoes and some farmers’ market bread. It’s quick and easy, and a real treat—enjoy!

Ombré Tomato Bread 

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• A loaf of your favorite rustic bread—we use ciabatta

• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced in half

• 2-3 lbs. of heirloom tomatoes, ideally in an array of colors

• Olive oil

• Flaky sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Fresh basil to garnish (optional, but very tasty)

Instructions:

1. Slice your loaf in half the long way, like you’re making a massive sandwich.

2. Grill, with sliced side down, until toasty. If you’re not using your grill right now, a broiler works too. You want a nice crisp surface.

3. Rub the toasted side of your bread with the cut side of the garlic cloves—to imbue some garlicky flavor—then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Slice your tomatoes, as thin as you can get them. Hold on to any accumulated juice—drizzle that over the bread.

5. Arrange your tomato slices on the bread. This is where the ombré comes in! Lay them out to make a lovely color gradient.

6. Drizzle a little more olive oil over top, then sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.

7.  Slice into wedges and serve!

The best and simplest—and most summery—open-faced sandwich you’ll ever have. 

And drop me a line if you’d like to talk home design! If you need me, I’ll be enjoying this weather (in moderation, I think).

Sending my best for your long, hot summer days.

Dining room, evolving

The dining room is evolving, and it always has been. Picture, if you will, the most classical formal dining room you can think of—for me, this calls to mind a sort of Regency-era atmosphere, involving dark polished wood, brocade-backed seats, crystal chandeliers, and posh British drama spoken in mild voices over a five-course meal. I’ll admit that I am thinking about Downton Abbey (an enduring favorite show), but the notion is still there. The idea of an old-style formal dining room conjures up certain aesthetic imagery that doesn’t necessarily apply to today’s dining rooms. And let’s be clear, there’s a lot of change that’s happened between then and now—a formal dining room of the 60’s might feature sleek mid-century modern furnishing, a Sputnik-style overhead light, cream fabrics and warm woods. In the past, the aesthetic of the dining space has flowed with the times. Now, we’re seeing a new change: a change in function.

Today’s dining rooms are something of a different beast. Typically, we take our meals in more variable, and often more casual, places. The kitchen island or counter has fast emerged as the new mealtime venue of choice—it’s also not uncommon to settle in for a meal in front of the TV with your latest favorite show on (we partake in that sort of dinnertime entertainment in our house plenty). When we turn back to our dining rooms now, they emerge as slightly different creatures, whose purpose broadens to suit our immediate functional needs. The dining table, with its vast open space, makes for a good spot to settle in for work-from-home duties, or putting together a puzzle. In our house, our dining table ends up more often than not becoming a craft station—you’ll probably find the middle stages of a sewing project laid out there, or trays of beads for bracelet-making. When we have special company, usually around holidays or other home-centric celebrations, we clear the space and use the table for, well, dining. But the rest of the year, we’re usually asking more of the dining room than has been asked of it before.

And increasingly, the dining “room” isn’t so much its own room as it is a conjoined area with the kitchen. The most common iteration of the dining space is one folded neatly into the open-concept kitchen, whose borders flow freely into the area of the dining table. This shift has made our homes more communal—we’re able to chat and coexist in the cooking space and the consuming space in one, spend time together while we prepare a shared meal in a way that closed-off, delineated spaces allow less. Our dining-kitchen area is open-concept, which I’ve really enjoyed. My daughter can work on her projects while I’m doing some baking in the kitchen, and we can listen to the same albums and make conversation. 

So all these new fluctuations in function—what do they mean for the state of the dining room? Is the dining room’s sun beginning to set?

I certainly don’t think so. The way we live and move through spaces is an ever-changing thing—as our world changes, so do our routine practices, and in conjunction, so do our needs at home. Today’s homes are undoubtedly different from the homes of the past, and that’s okay! Adaptability is a good thing.

And at the end of the day, the dining space is still a space of real purpose and utility. You might not take every breakfast and dinner there, but having the capacity to sit more visiting friends and family for those special occasions is invaluable. The singularity of the dining room is expanding into a lovely multi-dimensionality. We view our dining spaces now as multi-function—they handle our special occasions, and our day-to-day operations, when we just need somewhere to sit and sort bills or play board games. The dining room is willing to change with us—what more could we ask?

A note on design: sometimes the sense of “formality” in the dining room can be foreboding. It can feel like you have fewer avenues in which to express your own style—you’re more constrained by a certain set of aesthetic guidelines around what “formal” really feels like. These blended spaces alleviate some of that feeling—they’re a little more relaxed to start with—but generally, you shouldn’t worry about the perceived rules of dining room styles. It’s your home, after all, and especially with the new flexibility of the modern-age dining room, the aesthetic options are as unlimited as they are in the rest of your home!

Are you ready to take your dining room to the next level? Drop me a line! Let’s talk—and let’s make your dining room really work for you.

Never fear—the dining room is here to stay. It’s just changing its coat.

Walking the gallery

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite museum. I’m lucky enough to live in a city that has plenty to offer—the Walters, the BMA, the American Visionary—and be close to a coastal wealth of them, especially in New York, where I’d admit I’m most inclined to the MOMA. Spaces of art are rich in experience for us. As we pass through them, we come in contact with the density of history, the hand of the artist, a new aesthetic encounter that shapes how we feel and think. These are places of inspiration, places of feeling and evocation. To spend a little time in an art gallery is to feel the wonderful expanse of humanity, and to see beauty in ways you might not have thought to see it before.

And it’s no surprise that we so often want to bring home a piece of that beauty for ourselves (museum gift shops must really make a killing). Art in the home is not only a great way to amplify the aesthetic quality of your space, but also a perfect opportunity to cultivate your home to best express you and your unique array of tastes and styles. A gallery wall—the topic of today’s post—is one of the most fun design elements to create, and a perfect way to add character to your spaces.

A gallery wall is the optimal point for personal expression, in large part because it’s so defined by the hand of its curator. Perhaps you consider yourself a minimalist—by all means, stick to a sleek selection of black-and-white prints, neatly arranged. Tilting more towards maximalism? Layer paints, framed curios, mirrors, and hey, maybe even an interesting tapestry.  There’s no limit to customization when it comes to gallery walls. Today, I have a few tips for you to help make your gallery wall experience museum-quality!

First off, logistics. Dedicate your gallery wall location with intention—and don’t limit yourself to convention. A broad blank wall space could be perfect, but also consider the out-of-the way nooks—the tops of stairwells, the sides of window seats—that might benefit from some flair. Figure out the space you have to work with, and then get to the fun part: picking your art!

Don’t restrict yourself to what’s deemed standard in the world of wall hangings. There’s more that can be put up than just paintings in frames. Have some fun trinkets you’d like to display? A small shelf can be a part of your gallery wall, just like any other piece of art. Vintage signage more your wheelhouse? The right vintage piece will add that perfect retro feel that you’ve been craving. This is the part of the process where it’s all about you: your style, your vibe, your aesthetic preferences, your sense of self. A gallery wall shouldn’t overpower your space or make unreasonable demands—it should harmonize with your pieces to add another brilliant layer to your home, and make it all the more you.

After you’ve selected your pieces, it’s time to arrange them. It can helpful to lay them out before you commit to putting nails and hangers in your wall—you can spread your pieces out on a clear area of your floor to get an idea of how you want to slot things together, and assemble a set of measurements and spacings which you can then lightly mark on your wall in pencil, or line out with painter’s tape, which will keep your paint job safe and let you get a real idea of how the shapes will sit once they’re up. Start with the largest pieces and accessories, whose shapes have the largest profile and will serve as anchors for the rest of your art. Then shuffle in your smaller pieces to form a cohesive gallery selection!

Looking for a hand curating a space in your home, art and furniture and all? Drop me a line and let’s talk!

A trip to a museum is a lovely treat—what’s even lovelier is having your own personal museum, right in your own home. 

Clarksville Construction

There’s nothing more valuable to community structure than local business—as a local business myself, I really appreciate the dedicated energy and attention that goes into maintaining a business, and the labor of love it is to foster those community ties. Local family companies are the backbone of our towns and represent the best of our ideals. And in that vein, I’m delighted to tell you all that I’m collaborating with a great local family owned business: Clarksville Construction Services.

Clarksville Construction Services began as a two-man business in 1999—today, CCS is a team of 30+ experienced professionals, amply qualified to handle your home projects. CCS is a design build company and does beautiful work—I’ve seen it myself!—creating additions, kitchens, bathrooms, decks, finished basements, and more. Like Woodside Home, they’re all about personal service tailored to your home needs. They listen to you, first and foremost—no sales tactics here. And more than that, they’ve got a track record of reliable, punctual, as-promised service. When CCS makes your plan with you, they deliver. As a designer, I respect not only their commitment to excellence, but their commitment to their clients. That’s a top priority.

CCS is a superb family owned business, and I can’t recommend them enough. The next time you’re in the market for a new kitchen, finished basement, upgraded bath, or that new addition to your home you’ve always wanted, give them a call!

And, as part of our partnership, I’ll be working with them to help interested clients from the very beginning of the process. With early access to layouts and floor plans, I’ll be able to get to work on your home design project before completion. That way, your home will be finished, A to Z, in a timely, cohesive manner.

I’m so excited to be working with CCS—do check out their website, clarksvilleconstruction.net.

Take a seat

The chair is the stalwart draft horse of the furniture world. Consider the chair’s inarguable necessity—where would we be without it? Standing around our dining tables or bowing over our desks, wreaking havoc on our lower backs? The chair is the ultimate functional piece, adaptable to any room in your home, any spot you might want to rest your feet (and in a pinch, it’ll get you up to that high shelf to grab the baking sheet or extra glass you’re after). We tend to view chairs through this function-oriented filter—after all, their ubiquity and versatility are born from that innate sense of exact purpose.

But why limit the chair’s reach, its breadth of form? The chair can still easily excite us with unique design features, curious shapes and colors, all while retaining that perfect ease of use that makes the chair— well, a chair. Today, I thought I’d talk accent chairs with you. Let’s get to know the chair’s scope of possibility!

There are few basic types of chairs: slipper chairs, smaller armless chairs usually found in bedrooms; wingback chairs, everyone’s favorite dramatic armchair (or ideal reading nook); club chairs, typically roomier and often leather, fit to sink into; and the classic swivel chair (supposedly invented by Thomas Jefferson!). Any and all of these chair types can themselves become an accent chair.

What an accent chair really represents is an opportunity to have one of those wow moments in a corner of your home. Accent chairs typically embrace unique design shapes and particularly unique colors—a strong design choice turns your average sit-down spot into a feature, a place in your room that adds personality and helps define not only the aesthetic of the space, but the tenor of your home, which reflects you and your tastes.

You can make a variety of particular design choices when developing the perfect accent chair for your space. Let’s run through the gamut of options—a mix-and-match set of decisions can be combined to make the chair of your dreams!

Fabric — No furniture selection would exist without, of course, the ever-recurring task of considering your fabric options. When it comes to accent chairs, you have the opportunity to explore the wilder realms of color, pattern, and texture. Want a pop of brilliant color? Leap into jewel tones or saturated hues that shine against the rest of your room’s color palette. Looking for visual texture? Embrace funky patterns in all varieties—stripes, florals, the world’s your oyster! Here at Woodside Home, we have access to a massive selection of fabrics that are both durable and beautiful, so don’t feel worried about limits—there are none!

Arms — There’s more to a chair than the fabric, of course. A chair of unique shape can function as a lovely accent piece just as much as one in a bold tone or print. There are a vast array of style options for chair arms—paneled, pleated, sock, saddle, track with nails, scrolls, slopes, and beyond—each of which has its own sensibility and its own individuality. If you want something with a more neutral color, consider mixing it up with your arm shape to keep that dose of visual interest that keeps the “accent” in “accent chair”.

Legs — And on the topic of form, let’s not forget the vast array of options available when it comes to leg styles. Chair legs can really set the tone of the piece as a whole. A simple, sleek leg will bring with it a modern, streamlined feel. An ornately carved leg adds some vintage flair that can add a little classical chic to your space. Attention to these detailed choices can help you find your way to the perfect accent chair—and we’re here to help you keep from feeling overwhelmed.

Details — But wait, there’s more! There’s a plethora of details—piping, fringe, tufting, nailhead trim, and more—that will contribute something to your final accent chair. It’s all up to you—your tastes, your preferences, dictate the whole picture, so you end up with the perfect seat.

Ready to spice up your chair selection? We’d love to help you sort through the sea of options and suss out the accent chair made just for you—drop me a line and let’s talk!

The stalwart chair will always serve us faithfully—don’t be afraid to let it shine.

Free to be colorful

This time of year — with the tulips and daffodils, purple clover and apple blossoms — certainly speaks the language of color. All around us, flower beds and parks are dressing up in their green and yellow and blue finery. The cherry blossoms have bloomed in DC, carpeting the paths in that sweet soft pink. Color populates the world in profusion, and I often find myself inspired to catch a little of it to keep indoors, whether with a new art find at a local shop or just with a vase of fresh-cut orange chrysanthemums.

Color has long been understood to affect not only the visual aesthetics of our surroundings, but the way we feel in and move through them. Shades of blue tend to be soothing and centering; greens can be invigorating, refreshing; softer, lighter neutrals can make spaces feel more open, more peaceful. The way your space is colored has a real effect on your mood, so when you think about colors for your home, what you’re really thinking about is how you want each room to feel. It can be a lot to consider!

When you’re considering home design, you want to aim for a nice sense of aesthetic cohesion, and operating from a unified color palette can go a long way towards achieving that put-together sense while still suiting your specific tastes. A foundational color palette gives you a baseline — a standard against which you can measure your color choices for things like lighting, fabrics, and hardware. This way, you end up with a lovely sense of harmony, where the various tones and shades of your tables and art are concordant with your walls, ceiling, and molding.

Now, it’s not about total homogeneity — a whole-house paint plan doesn’t entail painting every wall in every room the same color. Each room in your home has different functional needs, and a different goal atmosphere. That energizing sage green you put on an accent wall in your kitchen — a place of activity, where you often find yourself in motion — might not quite suit a bedroom, where you’d like to cultivate a more placid, restful atmosphere. And besides, all one color? Where’s the fun in that?

When you plan your home’s color scheme, you do want to repeat some color elements throughout, to help build that sense of unity. You can diversify your palette by considering the aesthetic and functional goals of each room (as in the kitchen/bedroom example), which will allow you to branch out a little without losing cohesion. Accent walls are great ways to add pops of different, more striking color — or wallpapers, too — without sacrificing harmony in your home. 

First, you’ll want to select the color or colors for your common areas — your living room, your kitchen, and sometimes your dining room. If you’re working with a smaller footprint or an open floor plan in which these rooms are all connected, you might want to opt for one color for all of them. If you’ve got more subdivision and more wall space to play with, you can broaden the palette. Since these rooms get the most traffic, they make a great anchor around which to build the rest of your paint plan.

After you set the starting point, you can move on to considering colors for adjoining secondary spaces — offices, bathrooms, and bedrooms (and your dining room, if it wasn’t part of your common area color plan). This is where you can start adding more to your palette, and specializing your color selections to fit the sensibility of each space. Bedrooms are a great place to experiment with color, since those rooms are so personal to the user. 

And then — accent colors! Accent colors can go on specific walls, or define specific rooms (which then function as accents themselves — think a fun pop of color in a guest bathroom or a home office). You can even consider an accent color on your front door! It can help to pull accent colors from the specific decor of the room. For instance, if you have a lot of blue tones in your furniture in a room with neutral walls, a complementary accent wall could really make those blue pieces pop.

Designing a home paint plan can be a lot to consider — which is why designers like me are here to help! Looking to get a paint plan for your whole home? Drop me a line and let’s chat! I’d love to help you put your palette together.

In the meantime, I hope your spring is beginning to bloom. Take some time to relish in the brilliance of the season!

Mount Vernon Flower Mart

The azaleas have gotten an early start this year — already, in front beds and gardens, their rich pinks and red are spilling into the air, bright studies in pointillism. Myself, I’m a longtime gardener, and so this time of year has an extra layer to it. Now we prep the pots and beds, start mulling over what we want and where it’ll go, and sooner or later make an excursion to the local nursery to stroll through the humid greenhouses and long trays of petunias, flox, marigolds, in search of whatever strikes our fancy. It’s one of those yearly rituals that defines the season, gives the year some shape. 

With the spirit of gardening—and really, spring—in mind, I wanted to take today’s post to recommend to you one of my favorite Baltimore events: the Mount Vernon Flower Mart.

The Flower Mart is a steadfast classic on the Baltimore calendar of happenings. It’s been around since the early 1910’s, and over a hundred years later, is still going strong. The Washington Monument circle in Mount Vernon, right by Peabody, blossoms with vendor tents selling not only a cavalcade of fresh floral companions, but local jewelry, wall art, and food (a special favorite of ours has to be the Ekiben truck). The atmosphere is thick with the perfume of blooms and the cheerful chatter of renewal, the energy of warmer weather and clearer sun. And, on top of that, Flower Mart features a Baltimore classic: a lemon stick. For the uninitiated, this treat consists of a halved lemon and a peppermint stick through which you suck up the lemon juice, creating a sweet-sour-sharp delight in the mouth. The lemon stick dates back to time immemorial—and if you’re local, odds are you’ve had one in your time!

Flower Mart has been a part of our lives for ages. In our photo albums are pictures of my daughter and her friends, all little, enjoying lemon sticks and the painterly colors of the market. I hope Flower Mart can bring that kind of easy joy into your month, too!

Flower Mart runs May 3-4 from 11 AM to 8 PM, at the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon.

And besides, a little bit of landscaping goes a long way towards making your home all the more charming. Check it out!

Let there be light

The first place we really learn the power of lighting, I think, is the movies. Growing up (and now, in my adulthood), I watched a lot of vintage film noir, especially The Thin Man series of detective stories. Those old movies — noir in particular — always had a masterful grasp on how light and shadow defined a scene. The dewy soft-focus haze for our leading ladies; the thick chiaroscuro of bad guys; the stripes of slatted blinds across the silhouette of a hard-boiled PI. Light in a space changes the way we engage with that space, and the feeling that space gives us. An easy modern example: who among us hasn’t felt a little unpleasant under the continual fluorescent glow of a waiting room? Or, on the flip side, enjoyed the cozy yellow-gold of our favorite cafe in the evening hours?

Light is how we understand environments — our visual processing is defined by the reflection, absorption, and decoding of light. So when you’re considering lighting in your home, the importance of good lighting choices really can’t be overstated! Today, I wanted to talk a little about lighting: what to think about, what to look for, and how to find the best lighting for your home.

In general, there are three types of lighting: ambient, task, and accent. 

Ambient lighting is your base layer — your general illumination, from things like windows and recessed ceiling lights.  Chandeliers and pendants, as well as recessed lights, are the typical modes of introducing ambient light in your space. Think of ambient lighting like the underpainting in a picture. It provides the unified ground over which your other lighting choices will play, adding depth and levels. 

Task lighting provides targeted light in specific areas of your house, especially in places where you want a clear view (think lighting over kitchen islands, or your bedside lamp). As the name suggests, task lighting is task-oriented. Need a clearer view over your kitchen counters? Looking for good dining table illumination? Task lighting is there to make those cutting boards and dinner plates clear and visible. Sconces, lamps, and under-cabinet lighting — all typically intended to provide ready functional light — are task lighting standbys.

Accent lighting is just that — an accent, good for picking out certain architectural or visual features in your home and creating focal points. Accent lights can be sconces or lamps, like task lights, but can also be track lights and picture lights, whose focus is more directed and can be used to spotlight art. Accent lighting is all about finding the unique features of your space and showing them off!

When you start figuring out your interior lighting, it’s ideal to layer all these lighting types to create a textured light that serves all the functions you need it to. For instance, you might have a living room with wide windows and recessed can lights, and augment this with a table lamp or two by your sofa (task lighting, for when you want to cozy up and read) and a picture light to really make that perfect piece of artwork on the wall shine. 

And layering light isn’t limited to having all the lights on at once. Ideally, your ambient and accent lights are on dimmers, allowing you to more delicately shape the lighting of your space — and with variations on which lights are on and off, your space should take on new characters and reveal lovely new facets. Lighting can do a lot of heavy-lifting in terms of making a room both highly refined and adeptly functional. Cohesion in your lighting is an absolute must!

If you’re ready to talk lighting for your home, drop me a line anytime — I’d love to talk about the right way to make your space glow!

Never underestimate the value of good lighting. A little silver screen magic never hurts.

The great outdoors

Spring is springing — you can feel it in the air. Something about the texture of the light starts to shift this time of year. Fall and winter’s sharpness starts to soften into the glowy clarity of new growth, warmer days, energized rhythms. I, for one, have always been a lover of winter — with its coziness, its interiority, and the perfect delight of a mug of something toasty — but I can’t deny that these brighter days are a welcome change. There’s that rich, fresh smell on the breeze, and the crocuses are starting to shake off their dirt coats and open their fine purple petals. It’s always a nice feeling, just stepping into spring, even if March insists on all that lion-like roaring. I find myself more and more inclined to spending time outdoors, preparing my garden for April and May and June, or just taking the time to walk to my favorite local coffee shop instead of driving. 

After the restoration and interiority of winter, I think spring beckons to all of us in the same way, calling us back to the great green outdoors. Our homes can open themselves to this verdant spirit, too — we open our windows and spend our time on our porches and stoops, drinking it in, letting the freshness float through our rooms. This makes it a ripe time of year to start thinking about our outdoor spaces: our patios, our pergolas, our backyards. 

You might have the most resplendent gardens and the spiffiest front lawns, but until you have the right furnishings, the space never quite feels finished. Outdoor furniture is a specialized notion, and there are a lot of things you want to keep an eye out for when you’re on the hunt for that perfect patio chair. Today, I thought I’d take a minute to give you some tips and tricks on how to find the right outdoor furniture for your home needs!

1. Weather-resistance

Outdoor furniture spends its time— well, outside! So when you’re picking your outdoor pieces, keep in mind that certain materials — poly, and woods like acacia, teak, and eucalyptus — handle the weather better than others. Poly furniture holds up all on its own — wooden pieces will require a bit of yearly maintenance, but can make beautiful additions to your outdoor arrangements. Look for fabrics rated for outdoor use and weather-resistance.

2. Durability

On the topic of weather: you want your outdoor furniture to be heavy-duty, so it can withstand the many whims of your local climate, especially winds and storms. You don’t want to end up chasing that cheap plastic lawn chair halfway around the neighborhood! Look for pieces with some heft to them, so they’ll stand up to blusters and be sturdy enough to last you many years. Typically, outdoor cushions that tie down to the base piece are best.

3. Color

Your outdoor space can be curated exactly the same way you’d curate an indoor space — in fact, keeping an eye on colors and tones that suit not only your tastes but your surrounding natural environment will help creative a beautiful cohesion that can enhance your outdoor experience. Don’t be afraid to weave some color into your patio furnishings!

4. Comfort!

Above all, you want your outdoor pieces to be comfortable, both physically and aesthetically. When choosing your hammock, your sling chairs, your outdoor sofas, and any other piece intended for frequent use, make sure it’s as comfy as the pieces you’d want in your home. Make sure, too, it’s true to you! 

Looking to revitalize your patio or your porch? I’d love to help you find the perfect outdoor pieces — shoot me an email! Let’s talk!

As for me, I think I’ll go take a long walk in this crisp new sunshine. Wishing all of you a March season that isn’t too terribly windy!

America Craft Made: Baltimore

Winter is receding into a frosty memory — theoretically, that is — and as the days get nice and long and the air a little warmer, community events are springing back into action. That in mind, I wanted to take this quick blog post to highlight an upcoming Baltimore event: American Craft Made, coming to our fair city’s Convention Center from March 15-17th of this year!

American Craft Made is a series of markets produced by the American Craft Council, a nonprofit whose aim is to support artists and their craft. Baltimore is the flagship marketplace of the ACC — this year will be its 47th year! The Baltimore marketplace features the work of local artists and craftspeople, and is an immersive, interactive experience designed to showcase our plethora of wonderful local work. There are some changes to the marketplace this year — including these new springtime dates — that are sure to brighten your experience! The marketplace’s entrance has been moved to the gorgeous Charles Street lobby, with its brilliant natural sunlight and fresh fountains, right at street level. Plus, the ACC has upgraded the event floor plan to include cozy visitors’ lounges (for anytime you want to sit a spell).

The marketplace features vendors and artists of all ilks — you can expect to find ceramics, clothing, furniture, glassware, studio art, basketry, woodcrafts, fine jewelry, and more. All work is handmade and reflective of the unique vision of its maker or community. You’ll find pieces like no other here! The marketplace also offers hands-on activities with local crafters, so you can really get the full artist experience.

This is one of my favorite Baltimore events — I never go without finding some unique, lovely piece that I’m sure to cherish. For those of you in the DMV, I’d say, come check it out!

And if you’ve got that eye for the unique — the personal, the custom, the you — send me an email anytime, and we can bring that brilliant individuality to your home!

All that said — hope to see you there!

Bedroom sanctuaries

This little factoid has been passed around quite a lot, but in context of today’s post, it bears repeating: we spend about ⅓ of our lives sleeping, which means that we’re certainly spending a not-insignificant amount of time in our bedrooms.  And even discounting the time we’re snoozing, our bedroom is the place where we start our days, often where we prepare for them, and where, every evening, we end them, so we might face the next one.  It’s worth emphasizing that our bedroom does a lot of heavy lifting in our day-to-day lives — and with that in mind, we really should be giving them some thoughtful attention.  Your bedroom should be your sanctuary, so today, I thought I’d give you some tips on how to make that happen.

1. Give yourself a neutral canvas

Starting with neutral colors is a great way to create a foundation for a calming space.  Think pale tones, grays and camels, eggshell and cream.  These colors are simple and soft, and work with most anything, so if you change up your palette on your bedding or your furniture, it’ll all still form a cohesive picture.  Plus, these neutrals help bring a peaceful, relaxed air into your space, which makes them perfect for a bedroom, where peace and relaxation are top priorities.

2. Let there be light

Our circadian rhythms are governed by the day-night cycle, and follow changes in natural light to tell us when to get sleepy and when to get a fresh jolt of morning energy.  With that in mind, it’s ideal to keep as much natural light in your bedroom as possible.  Roman shades, or similar cloth shades, can help allow in a soothing amount of sunlight for a gentle wake-up without glare from neighboring lights or other extraneous light sources.  When thinking in terms of electronic light, it’s best to keep lights warm and soft — harsh light, and especially electronic blue light, disrupts your sleep cycle and can keep you up.  Go for gentle light, and reap the benefits of healthier sleep.

3. Embrace natural materials

Natural textiles — linen, down, silk, cotton — are often the best options for creating a cozy feel.  Lean into those organic textures and woven fabrics, especially in bedding, where it’s nice to have fabrics that naturally breathe.  Layer your bedding up to prep for variations in sleep-temperature preference (or depending on your local climate).  And the use of natural materials doesn’t have to stop there — touches of wood, whether in furnishings, wall panelings, or accent decorations, amp up the warmth and comfort of any room, and can bring another layer of serenity to your sanctum.  Consider, even, a houseplant or two, just to bump up that organic feel.

4. Add a rug

For me personally, there’s nothing tougher than a cold floor on your feet first thing in the morning, especially here in Baltimore where it can get pretty chilly on winter nights.  An area rug will not only curb that less-than-ideal experience, but will also dampen sound in the room and add a gentle texture, helping make your bedroom a place of real repose.

5. Consider atmosphere

A little bit of lavender in the air can go a long way to making your bedroom as tranquil as can be.  Keeping electronics at bay — not always easy, of course — can also help preserve a soothing environment, separated from the rest of your life.  Small details like that can really help turn your bedroom into the perfect place to settle into at the end of the day, and the most refreshing atmosphere to greet in the morning.

I’d love to help you make your bedroom the haven you deserve — send me an email anytime, and we can talk design!