As I passed through my foyer on the way to the family room, I glanced right, and saw a perfectly framed "snapshot" of my dining room. It was a picture I would "like" on Instagram, eye-catching, well balanced, full of color, fun. It occurred to me that especially today's world, where smartphones with their brilliant cameras let us take fabulous images, and social media platforms encourage us to post away, that home decorating is a lot like pulling together the perfect series o

I was itching for a project. A little creativity. Supplies I had in-house. Relatively quick to accomplish. And I had a boring white lampshade. It looked just fine as it was. But fine isn't fun. Fine is a little boring, even against the brilliant lusterstone walls of the dining room. So it was craft time. I didn't really have a vision when I began, which isn't always a great way to start. But sometimes, if you wait for a vision, you don't ever actually start. I knew I was goi

Paint. It offers an instant transformation. It's inexpensive. It lets you stay on trend. It can hide flaws. It's a decorator's best friend. Really, it's the SPANX of the design world, if you think about it. But for so many clients, friends, and family I work with, the challenge of picking a color overwhelms the joy that comes from all of the above. For some it's the commitment. What if I don't like it later? For others it's just not knowing where to start. And for some, it's

I just prefer mine on a wall. I’m talking about blankets, and fabrics, and tapestries … oh my. Every home has at least one problem wall. It’s that looming blank space that begs for something interesting. Anything. It’s usually a big space. And typically in one of the main rooms of the house. So, you have to see it every day. Just as you can revitalize a worn chair or couch with creative, vibrant blankets, so too the wall. Many clients don’t warm to the blanket trend until I s

Call it buffalo check. Call it tartan. Call it checked. Call it Glenn. But for goodness sake, you’ve got to call it into your home! Always near to my heart, it's this season’s decorating and apparel sweetheart showing up on everything from fabulous mohair coats to peppy area rugs and everything in-between. Target did a major “Mad for Plaid” co-lab with Adam Lippes that landed plaid on everything – tabletop to pooch gear. And to go along with it, target plaidened – or if you p

Time to cozy up, cuddle down, and wrap up in warmth to embrace the inevitable -- winter in Chicago. And for that, I’ve got just one word: layers! You’ve probably got the idea mastered for yourself. Starting with a base layer, perhaps a cuddly sweater over on top, a lush scarf as an accent (and another layer of warmth), a jacket over that, and – just in case – a rain jacket to shield against the threat of water. Practical. Chic. And why should you limit this to your look