Sometimes decorating becomes more complicated than I think it should be. If you know where to begin, you can get started on the right foot.

One of the the first questions I ask a client is “What kinds of activities do you want to do in this room?” The reason I ask this question is because the function of the room is really more important than simply creating a beautiful space.

True beauty in a room comes from living a beautiful life, not just showing off beautiful things.

A room full of eye candy can look like a stage set and be entirely useless for everyday living. If we can combine the two, function and beauty, the room will be truly loved and your life will be inspired by that space.

THE FIRE PIT EXAMPLE:
I have a client who had me design her outdoor living area. She told me she wanted an outdoor sofa, a couple of chairs and a coffee table. Pretty basic elements. As I headed into the furniture store to shop, I saw a beautiful outdoor fire pit with a tiled flat surface around the edge. I was drawn to it because it combined her desire for a coffee table with a lifestyle element I knew she would love.

With a beautiful coffee table, she could set her drinks down or put her feet up. With a fire pit, she and her family could have cozy nights around the fire roasting marshmallows, talking and creating family memories. It served as both a coffee table and a magnet for family activity.

By asking ourselves what the purpose of our space will be, we can design a room where we can live the kind of life we want.

Creating a lifestyle is an important piece of the decorating puzzle! When you put all the pieces of a room together, you want to have a room that makes life beautiful.

Photos are from the actual client shopping trip and the last one is from our family beach house on the fourth of July.