Trusting Yourself in Your Home

So many people tell me they just can’t decorate their home. Once they move in they attempt to create a home and then somewhere along the way they stall out. Whether it is a decision that needs to be made about color or furniture position the underlying issue is not trusting themselves.
The one thing that used to drive me crazy about interior design is that it is not a science. As creative as I can be I am also very left brained. I love numbers and analyzing data and I enjoy something CONCRETE. If I am going to put time and energy into something, I want an output. Unfortunately that mentality can not be applied to design. Interior design is subjective.
For me, designing a home is work from the heart and that can never be measured. It just is. That is also what can make designing a home so difficult especially for people that are left brained. But it can be accomplished! I think it can be greatly simplified by just trusting yourself. It is your home and you know what you like best.
When you walk into a department store- what do you end up buying? Do you usually go for the most bold outfit there is? Do you like to go for something neutral that will match with anything? Do you gravitate towards the dress with a lot of frills and lace? These are unconscious decisions you make about your style and the same can be completed with your home. 
  
When facing a design decision notice what your first instinct is. What do you gravitate towards? Try not to focus on what SHOULD work, just notice what you like. Do not over-think it. Keep in mind that design and art, for that matter, are completely subjective. There are no rights or wrongs. Trust yourself that you know what works best in your home for you and your family. Also, keep in mind that design is a PROCESS and it can always been changed as your needs or styles evolves.
 In addition to writing for Daigle’s Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth’s clients range from first-time home buyers, to sellers, to short sales, to seasoned investors. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.

A Living Room to Talk About

The dark teal walls,  mid century modern chair and animal print rug make this one bold room! I am determined to have an animal print rug in my next home. Looking to add some edge into your home with an animal print rug? I have been sourcing animal print rugs so here are a few places online where you can an animal print rug yourself. 

 In addition to writing for Daigle’s Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth’s clients range from first-time home buyers, to sellers, to short sales, to seasoned investors. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.

Ode to White Cabinetry in the Kitchen…

I have been working with buyers that are looking for a condo downtown and all the homes have dark wood cabinets in the kitchen. A lot of the places we have been looking at are lofts and the design tends to be more contemporary and modern so it is understandable why the cabinetry isn’t white. But it got me thinking, I haven’t seen a lot of white cabinetry lately. Am I the only one who really likes the look of white cabinetry in the kitchen?

No doubt white cabinets can be harder to keep clean (especially with kids!) but they can offer a very fresh, airy and crisp feeling in your kitchen.

What cabinetry do you prefer in your kitchen? 
 In addition to writing for Daigle’s Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth’s clients range from first-time home buyers, to sellers, to short sales, to seasoned investors. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.

Adapting to the Mid West Lifestyle

It is a known stereotype that East Coasters can be cold, guarded, mean, fast-paced, high strung, no fun and uptight. And, well, Mid West Coasters are not. They are laid back, live in the moment, spontaneous and fun loving. So here I am – an East Coaster in the Mid West. Hands down it was the best decision for me to me to move out here as I have greatly relaxed. I’m not (such) a control freak. I’ve attempted to let go. Last weekend I was told I was the nicest East Coaster my new friend had met. I tell you this to prove that I have in fact loosened up since coming to Denver. Let’s not talk about the fact that it feel I need to prove to you that I have relaxed…..
I still make an unwarranted attempt, often unsuccessful, to control the outcome of many things. I’ve realized how guarded I am while explaining certain situations to people in Colorado and then receiving a blank look and a comment about not trusting. I cringe when people say they just “let life happen”. What???! How? I’m always five steps ahead of myself.
Which is probably how I found myself on a cement sidewalk on Tuesday morning unsure if I was going to be able to get up. I was rushing to move on to my next task that I missed a step on someone’s stairwell and tumbled down to the ground, twisting my ankle on the fall. Finding myself in an ankle brace from the fall seems to be a testament to my East Coast roots. So fine, maybe the West Coasters are on to something. Although, I still find solace in any new friend that is originally from the East Coast. As if we share a dirty little secret of being far too fast paced, uptight and direct in this environment. A common language of short, quick, abrupt statements that brings us together. And, of course…..

 In addition to writing for Daigle’s Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth’s clients range from first-time home buyers, to sellers, to short sales, to seasoned investors. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.

A Perfect Living Room

I found this living room created by LaidLaw Schultz Architects and it is perfection!
The clean lines and white color palette ensure your eyes move to the absolute gorgeous view. Far too many living rooms have the television as the focal point. This room moves the television into your peripheral vision but the placement still allows people on the couch to watch television.
 In addition to writing for Daigle’s Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth’s clients range from first-time home buyers, to sellers, to short sales, to seasoned investors. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.

The concept of home

Ever since returning back to Denver from New Hampshire I have been a bit unsettled. It was almost like visiting New Hampshire and realizing that it was no longer home accentuated the fact that Denver is not home yet. I have not settled in Denver yet. I have a bedroom and bathroom in one part of the city but boxes of my things in storage units through the city. 
It has made me think a lot about what home is. Is it a physical place or is it where your heart is? For me, home is more of a feeling. A feeling of safety, comfort, order, harmony, family. I do not know if I could ever be at home in my heart without having a physical home. One of my favorite things to do at my home in New Hampshire was to come home to an empty house on a Friday night and catch up on all my shows that I missed during the week. I would relax on my soft microsuede couch with an blanket over me which would always leave me with cold feet. That is home.
Every Sunday I would go to the grocery store early and spend the day prepping my meals for the week. I would cook all day until my feet hurt from standing too long and my hands were raw. In the fall and winter I would stand hunched over the over making chilli or soup and comfort baked goods. That is home. 
I drove past my condo in New Hampshire while I was there. I wanted to make sure it was still intact. I have great tenants but being 2,000 miles away anything could happen. Pulling into the driveway that I pulled into for five straight years was strange. It was no longer home. I was completely detached from a place I called home for years. 
Since New Hampshire was no longer considered home, I was anticipating an intense feeling of ‘home
 when I came back to Denver. As I was turning the keys in my door, I didn’t get that feeling. I waited all day for that feeling. I went to bed hoping this exuberant feeling of comfort and calm would come over me. It did not. 
I am slowly starting the process of finding a more permanent home for me. A place to call my own, where I can finally unpack all the boxes from my 2 bedroom condo in New Hampshire. It is a weird process though since I physically still have a home in New Hampshire. I am hesitant to pull the trigger on any place here (which in this current market- hesitation does not work in your favor). I am waiting to feel more settled but maybe after a huge life change, you just have to slowly put the pieces back in place to feel settled again.
What does home mean to you? Is it merely a physical place? Or is it emotional for you? Could you call anywhere home?