Blogging

Hi,
So I have come to find out that a lot of people are having a tough time logging in to comment on the blogs. I'm looking into it as we speak and will hopefully have it resolved soon. I love hearing your feedback! So please check back in and hopefully it will be a lot easier to send me a comment or a question.
Thanks!!
Taniya

Fireplace

I was just asked about the linear fireplace that I wanted to put in my place. He couldn't picture a 72" fireplace. I guess I can understand why. :)
It's not your everyday fireplace.
Here is a photo just in case anyone is interested. It is sleek, modern, and such a focal point to the room! I found this one at www.sparkfires.com
For now, I will have to keep dreaming!

Beds

Beds. Why do so many people leave the bedroom as an afterthought? Think about it. It is the last place you see when you go to sleep, the first place you see when you wake up and there are other things that happen in there which warrant a nice, relaxing set up. Wouldn't you agree? It is a place that sets the tone for the rest of the day. Organization, color, layout. It is all so very important as to how you start and end your day. SO- take some time to make it your sanctuary. Let it be the place in your home that you retreat to and unwind in. If you wake up in a place that is chaotic, chances are, your day will be too!

Construction time

A friend of mine once said that doing renovation to the home is a lot like plastic surgery. It usually has to get worse before it gets better. The house actually goes through a healing process. I am feeling it right about now! We are down to bare concrete and a lot of dust! I just can't wait for it to be done. It is different from what I do on the show in that everything I purchase for the show is readily available from Home Depot, Lowes, etc. I do that to show people that it can be done on a budget and in a fast turn around time. Most of the things I have selected for my home are things that were ordered and took a few weeks for delivery. What a drag. I am used to making renovations happen in just a few days.

I hit a major speed bump with the fireplace. My original plan was to add a linear gas fireplace that was about 72" long and 18" high BUT, to my dismay, gas fireplaces are a funny thing. Most need to use their own venting system. Since I am in a condo, I didn't want to mess with it- so I had to revamp my entire design trying to make the one we already have work. I have come up with something very cool and am actually just as excited about this as I was for the long narrow one. Keep checking in for more pics as it starts to come together.

Photos before the demo

For some reason my video didn't work on the previous blog so I am posting some still photos of the place.

Here is where we are at:
1. The wall to the right of the fireplace is down in the living room, now the place feels open and lofty.
2. The floors are ripped up
3. The tile has started to go down in the bathrooms and up on the kitchen backsplash.
4. We took down the cabinets in the kitchen opening so that it feels more open to the dining room (I always say that open floor plans are the way to go these days!)

The search is on...

I have spent the last several days researching furniture online for our new place and alas, I came across 2 really amazing sites and have managed to order just about all of my furniture from them. These pieces are tremendously less then the prices I have been finding at retail stores. I promised to let you in on my renovation process from demo to design and I have to say, buying online is one of my best kept secrets. I tend to do quite a bit of online ordering for the show because it is so much easier and the deals are great! Usually there are little to no shipping costs and it gets delivered right to your door which is the best part. The only parts that requires some patience are the lead times and delivery times. Because of the size of some items, it has to be delivered by freight which takes a little longer. But it's all good! It will be worth the wait! I am close to finished with my bathroom fixtures selections as well- but for those items, I chose to go visit the stores instead of ordering online. The plumbing gets a little confusing so I wanted to be sure to get some personal assistance with that. Okay, I know you are dying to find out what the sites are already! :) Here they are: www.kmpfurniture.com and www.exoticaunique.com. I will share photos of some of the furniture pieces that I chose in my next blog. In the meantime, here is my home video tour of the place before we knocked down the wall and took out the floors. ps The floors look pretty good on camera, but in reality, they are laminate floors that have been dinged up pretty bad.

I'm back and have lots to tell!

What a whirlwind! First, I apologize for the lack of blogging. So much has been going on and I can't wait to tell you about it!
My hubby and I just bought a new condo. It is gorgeous! The river wraps around the front and side of the building. I just can't wait to move in! Naturally, as a designer, I have pretty much gutted the entire place. My husband thinks I am insane! At the moment, my Mohawk floors, carpet, and tile are on order. I am loving the look. Very organic and natural. In fact, I want to take you on the journey with me. It'll be fun to go through this process together. The big question is, "What does a designer do to their own home!!??". It really is different when it comes to designing my own space. It is so much easier designing for others! Here is what I do know about how I want my new home to look. I am going for a very modern look yet very comfy, y'know- clean lines, crisp light tones, lots of texture, and a few pops of color. I want an open floorplan and tons of light.
I am going to start researching furniture because that part takes a long time! A lot of sofas can take up to 12 weeks to get so I better get a move on it or else we'll be watching tv while sitting on milk crates. That is definitely not the look I'm going for.

More good news! I just got back from Chicago. I was a guest on.......OPRAH!!! It was a dream come true (well, it's pretty much everyone's dream come true!). The show is going to air in early March, but I promise to keep you posted on the exact date as soon as I know. I won't give away the show, but I will tell you that there was a makeover involved. I was sitting on stage next to her and it was a surreal moment. Completely amazing!

That's all for now. I will post some pictures of my new place so you can see it from start to finish.
Thanks for checking back in!!
Hugs! Taniya