Ready to make a change?

It’s going to take some effort and maybe a new pair of shoes.

I parked the car got out and opened the back door. I only wanted to make one trip but it was quite a stack of carpet samples I considered carrying across the street. I can do it. I threw my bag over my shoulder and then bent down and picked up the carpet samples piled on the back seat. Like carrying a tall cake, I moved both my arms to the side so I could see my feet in front of me and where I was going. Note to self, they are pouring new cement sidewalks, across the street in front of the client’s home, see the orange cones. “I’ll just walk to the left of the cones,” I thought to myself. As I reached the curb I stepped up, orange cone to my right, and then stepped down and that feeling of my ballet-flat-covered-feet sinking up to my ankles in wet cement is one I will always remember.

There I stood, my hands full of carpet samples stacked up to my chin. Both feet in. The nice Italian man in charge reached out his hand like Prince Charming and gestured for my foot, gently took my right ankle in his hand, took my shoe off, washed it from the hose on the cement truck and then rinsed my foot, replaced my shoe so I could step down onto the grass and then repeated the left side and out I stepped from the thick sludge. Quickly they smoothed over the cement with that giant squeegee device like it never happened. I sloshed my way up the client’s front steps, stack of samples still in my arms as I carefully reached out my finger to touch the client’s doorbell. Back to work.

Note to self; I need a new pair of ballet flats.

What kind of change is right for you?

Changing carpet, changing anything in your home requires a kind of focus. Let’s imagine that you want to make a change in your kitchen. How much of a change? What do you like? What do you need?

There are some interesting things you can do that do not require too much time or money for that

matter. Wallpaper can transform the emotional energy of a space. And there are many kinds of wallpaper. Floral, like this one from Manuel Canovas has a fantastic pallet of weird yellow, green, grey & white and provides just enough drama and definitely sparks joy.

The Carol Benson Cobb murals from York Wallcoverings (see the image at the top) that mimic one of her ocean’s horizon abstract paintings delivers a fair amount of drama without being too serious. Have a look at Phillip Jeffries too where you’ll find a multitude of wavy and wonderful textures with threads of gold for a touch of glam.

If you consider what you need, like more storage in the kitchen for instance, acquiring more cabinets is bigger project. But how about getting cooking pans out of the cabinet and hanging them on a wall

finished with reclaimed wood slats? Now you’ve created more storage for yourself where the cast iron pans used to be. The reclaimed wood slats from PlankWood come in a variety of finishes from white to black and many shades of grey and brown. They’re easy to install (liquid nails) and provide a more casual feeling to the space altogether.

A focal point wall of #joy, #drama, #glam and the #rustic charm of reclaimed wood might provide the change you’re looking for.

If you are considering making a change in your home, big or small, contact us, we’d love to help guide you through the design process.

Gretchen Reinheimer Design

Creating extraordinary spaces together

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