houzz interior design ideas

Archive for the "upholstery" Category

4 Tips for Downsizing

If you or someone you know is thinking of moving to a smaller home or a retirement community, here are some tips that will help make your transition smoother. 1. Start a “TO DO” notebook Here you will list the tasks that need doing, as well as names of professionals whose services you may need […]

3 Ways to Transform Your Master Bedroom

Recently we had the good fortune to transform a client’s master bedroom from lackluster to luscious. There are many ways to do this, but my top three favorites are: 1. Personalize your furnishings. These clients are avid birdwatchers, and recently moved to a condo overlooking the Willamette River that teems with local waterfowl, raptors, and […]

Living in Your Living Room

This inviting seating area in the sunny bay window looks like it has always been here, but truth to tell, it just happened last week. That is, the completion of the room happened last week, but was actually year in the making. Let me back up to show you what the living room of this […]

INTERIOR DECORATING or INTERIOR DESIGN?

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Have you ever wondered what the difference is between interior design and interior decorating?  Using our home library as an example, I will illustrate the difference between these two essential concepts: interior design requires conceptualizing and outlining changes that require construction, whereas interior decorating refers to changes in color, furnishings, window treatments and accessories.  The photo […]

Realizing Dreams: Master Bedroom Makeover

A few months ago Helene Cogen moved from Miami, Florida, to Portland, Oregon, because her children and grandchildren live here.  She had owned a home here for years, but only used it in the summer, so it was furnished like a beach house–very casual, with lots of white wicker furniture.  With a permanent move, she wanted […]

The Doctors’ Decorating Dilemma

When I first met Drs. Lainie and Jon Yarris, both emergency room physicians, they had been raising their three children in this charming Craftsman home for eleven years.  When they weren’t working at their demanding jobs, they were doing activities with their children and with friends, who also have children.  Their dilemma was how to arrange the […]

Subterranean Transmogrification

One expects transformation with a remodel.  The results of this particular basement remodel are so dramatic that I’m calling it “transmogrification.”  The beautiful space below . . . used to look like this: Since I’m not an engineer or an architect, I called upon Wade Freitag at Craftsman Design and Renovation to help with the construction design for this […]

Crafting for Comfort

Emery & Associates has worked on many Craftsman-style homes, but none that were as representative of the style as this wonderful, 100-year-old beauty in Portland’s historic Irvington neighborhood.   Here’s the living room “AFTER” photo.  Let me back up a bit to show you how we arrived at this comfy, child-friendly design. Josh Smith called me in […]

What Every Guest Room Needs

A few months back a long-time client called me to ask if we could do a makeover on her oldest daughter’s bedroom.  The daughter had graduated college, moved across the country to start her career, and didn’t know that any changes would be made.  She asked if we could please keep the wallpaper so it wouldn’t […]

Modern Luxe

  Our long-time clients, Susan and Bruce Winthrop, recently downsized from a large suburban home to a condo on the top floor of Atwater Place in the South Waterfront. They no longer wanted to deal with the upkeep of a house and large yard, and they wanted to be nearer the city center where many of their favorite […]

houzz interior design ideas