Amish Country Traditions And Values come to Historic Bristol!

 

The Bristol Amish Market opened in early may.

One my favorite shops is the Stoltzfus Crafts where you can find incredible selection of fine, hand crafted   furniture made in Lancaster Co. Pennsylvania. This shop is filled with Decordiva finds. The store features country primitive furnishings, a great selection of homemade  furniture being rich in quality yet affordable in price!

 

Potpourri, candles, and a wide assortment decorative accessories grace this store’s interior and make it great place to shop for your home .

Right now there is special pricing on Welsh Mountain Candles!  Follow the link to get your online coupon. http://www.stoltzfuscrafts.com/salespromotions.html

Hand crafted furniture both small and large pieces can be found in abundance. So if your shopping for tables, benches, bookcases,
and now even a great bedroom suite our all offered at great prices. there are special order colors and design choices and samples upon request. which makes this designers resource. For more information and store hours follow this link! http://www.stoltzfuscrafts.com/home.html

Restaging To Sell - Friend or Foe

Treat your home as a FRIEND YOU WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO OTHERS.

• Think of the qualities that attracted to your home.




• Showcase these qualties to the world of perspective buyers.




• Your web listing is the best way to get them to your doorstep.




• Work with a professional stager help create a dramatic first impression!




• Work with a real estate photographer to provide great portraits of your home.




• Work with a great realtor to guide through the sale of your home!




• Create a great written introduction that is easy reading, make the description simple, and include a warm invitation to this must see home.
  



• The hardest thing for sellers is depersonalizing your home so that others can be able to see the bare bones and begin view the home your are selling as there's!
  
  
• Cutter, too much furniture, broken items, items in disrepair, should be addressed!
  
  
• Finally if you live in Bucks County, Pa. give me a call....I'd like to meet your friend!

An Inconvenient Friend

Great design starts by reordering your environment.

Recently I spent some time reordering the office interior of a client. I moved a file cabinet to new location and landscaped the top with live plant in a decorative pot… it looked great! When I returned a few days later the top of cabinet was cluttered with some filing that needed to be done. A week later the same pile had grown somebody was crowding this landscape design with their own idea of order or perhaps not! When you fail to create order you should expect disorder or clutter in its place. Clutter can become that inconvenient friend we have grown to accept and often make provisions for on a daily basis. Is clutter your friend too? That friendship can be costly. Your friend clutter loves crowds, confusion, and abundance of distractions. Just remember sometimes we our known by the company we keep!

Recent Press Release "Small Town Style"

My home was the centerpiece for a recently published article in the Courier Times. The purpose of the story was to promote the Historic Bristol Day House Tour. This feature article told about my small historic home and its clever design. I enjoyed particpating in this annual event. The Historic Bristol Day House Tour has been a coveted opportunity by this small town to view some of its most private historical homes. A special thanks go to Gwen Shrift who wrote the piece capturing the essence of my home and the passion I have for design.


Small town style is simply affordable design. If you would like some help with your home please send me an email at DesignelementsPa@aol.com

“Ruling Your Domain”

Your domain is that territory over which you exercise dominion (sovereignty or power).

Its that land you call home!

The place you have dominion! Or supreme authority!!!

A true décor diva very simply rules her home well!!! The ultimate décor diva is a skilled commander who rightly orders her home a regular basis.

We must have the right mindset as décor divas. Right now it might look like we are simply paupers at best, but I challenge you to see yourselves differently!!!

The first step into diva Dom is to clear your field of design and rightly order your home!!!

We start by filtering and organization

Filter means to come or go in small units over a period of time filtering in >

Filtering is an ongoing process. You are simply removing impurities from your field of design on a regular basis. You will need to arrange or rearrange until you like the way different areas look and function.

To properly filter you will need a staging area. The origin of this term "Staging Area" came from the military. It was used to describe a location from which participants in a new military operation or mission were assembled and readied…. Your "Staging Area"will be a transition point not a destination... things should come and then go from there on a regular basis!!!

If your dining room table is your staging area then the landscape should change on a regular basis.

You can also use laundry baskets, bags, or boxes in a small corner of your home for a staging area (departure point).

Next we bring order… organize or arrange…putting things into balance and relationship. We do this on two levels with respect to one another. This is called form and function.

This can be a frustrating experience but remember you have power (ability to act or produce an effect).

When fail to act properly we feel in bondage to that which we posses. It seems to control our emotional well-being. At times rendering us ineffective at maintaining control and exercising dominion.

Patience is necessary ingredient as well as perseverance

There will be days of chaos were our attention is redirected and habits of the past seem to reappear

There is a saying…Old habits die-hard!!!

Your ability to rule and bring to order will be challenged!!!

Unfinished tasks must be completed

Careless living must be replaced with careful living

Remember each day brings new opportunity

Ignore what you cannot change…. decorate around it…

Prepare for your future…. You’re a diva in training…in time you will rule your domain

Rule clutter!!…Make three piles:

1.) Keepers- you know no matter what you’ll keep it!!!

2.) Give away/ sell –these items must of valve and useful to others!!!

3.) Throw away- your most liberating pile!

"Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity."

- Albert Einstein

Designing Times

In todays world Design is at a peak. We have more choices and interest in what fashionable. The choices are simply overwhelming!!! So with such an influx of ideas and goods that are available what makes for good design? I believe it is taste that still rules and persons abilities to use todays resources in ways that are practical and attractive. The true essence of good design is balance between form and function. Today's Decor Divas must navigate through the sea of design opportunities and land at that shore they call home.....its sink or swim!!!