Transitioning

Hello. In my last post, after months of posts on the topic, I finished talking about all of my renovation plans and decorating plans for the house my family moved to in Ohio from Michigan almost exactly a year ago today. The actual renovation process will begin in October and is expected to last throughout 2022 and possibly (probably) beyond the end of next year. I have enjoyed sharing the process of detailing and refining my plans here with you and I truly appreciate you being a part of it.

Growing up I moved around a lot and home was not the structure to me, it was more a feeling of familiarity. Home was the people within the walls and the memories that were made with the pieces that traveled with us from house to house. As an adult I have also moved around a lot and I am led by the lessons learned in my youth. Home is much more than the building, it is a feeling. I have filled my house with sentimental pieces, connections to the past, and new purchases that now carry their own stories. Creating a home, wherever that may be, is my passion.

When I started blogging, not only was I "workshopping" my own house, in my mind I was also exploring the possibility of starting my own home design and decorating business. I am more certain now than ever before that this is exactly what I want to do. I have some training to do to get beyond my graph paper drawings! Although these drawings work for me (and have for years) and I can visualize very well from them, I know they will probably not work for most people. I think, as of now, that I will always start from there when beginning a project and then build something in computer software from my graph paper vision. I know that when visually presenting a project to a potential client it needs to be easily understood.

I have been jotting down ideas for posts on the blog while I am also "under construction" launching my business. I plan to post regularly and I hope to get to the point where I am posting more than just twice per week. This is my list so far:

• Manic Monday - I will post all of the things I have saved on Instagram and from magazines from the previous week and the reasons why

• Furniture Fever - I will share pieces I see out and about, online, and or in magazines that "speak to me" and the reasons why

• Decorate a Model Home - I want to reach out to a builder and ask permission to use the plans from one of her/his/their homes and decorate it room by room, much like what I did with my own house, only this time I would decorate with new and vintage pieces I find that are currently for sale

• Where to Start - I will post "how to approach the design" posts for specific rooms, things to keep in mind before starting a project

• Homes That I Would Move Right Into - I have an entire binder of complete spreads of homes I have ripped out from magazines that I will share and the reasons why I love them so much

• Seasonal Posts - sharing memories and ideas on how to embrace the upcoming season

• Home Design Book Recommendations - I have a lot of books from amazing designers and will share my favorites

• Etsy Finds - I am a huge fan of Etsy and will share some of the cool things I see when searching the site

• Food/Recipe Posts - since I was a "cafeteria lady" in a former life, I love to cook and on occasion will share recipes I have tried recently that were hits and also share some family favorites

• My Own House - I will post updates on the progress of my own house whenever possible!

I have also have been forming the following list of services I am able to offer to potential clients immediately. If you or anyone you know needs assistance from someone (me) who is eager to help (me) and not at all intimidating (also me), please have them reach out (to me)!

• Shopping assistance for furniture, accessories, fixtures, etc.

• Sourcing for furniture, accessories, fixtures, etc.

• Home Staging

• Renovation ideas

• Floor plan reviews

• Design/renovation mentoring (moral support and advice) - access to help when you need it, only a phone call away

• Mood Boards with sources

• Help with paint colors and/or furniture placement

• Graph paper designs for a new home or renovation from start to finish and everything in between (until I become skilled in design software, then you can have both!)

Lastly, I would really like to offer my services here on the blog to address any design and/or decorating questions/challenges you or your friends may have. If you send in pictures and/or questions in the "Let's Chat" box on the blog I will offer advice and inspiration on how to address the room, issue, what have you. It would be so much fun to help you and also to post before and after pictures here on the blog.

I am here, ready and willing to help.

Thank you for being here,

Kerry