Blog – Molly Sweeney – Interior Stylist

Spring Forward

Although spring is still many weeks away, I find myself thinking of the new life it brings: bulbs peeking out, early tree blossoms like Cherry and Magnolia. I also long for the colour….

I like to “force” springtime to come a bit early – it helps me through some of the dark (and wet) days that are numerous in Vancouver this time of year. I do this by either pruning bits of early blooming plants from my garden, like forsythia, that come to life within a few days of being indoors, or picking up something from the local florist. Bulbs like daffodils and narcissus or even tulips work well, especially since you can buy them already started, and witness their notable day to day progress.

Apart from the beauty they bring, it is hard not to notice – and appreciate – the energy and unstoppable process of nature as it evolves from dormancy to bloom, from one season to the next.

Create some “hits” of spring in your home. You will find it not only brings a little bit of joy to your daily life, but also instills a little energy and optimism for what lies ahead.

Some placement ideas for maximum enjoyment are your main entry way, by the kitchen sink, or your bedside table especially if there is scent involved!

Happy (almost) Spring!

Little things

We all have our lists – things, big and little, that we want to change, upgrade or re-do around the house. In my experience, the longer the list, the harder it is to get started: it is just too much to factor into our already busy lives! What helps when I am feeling overwhelmed, is to pick a small project, and one that is top of mind because it “bugs” the most, or I “see” it everyday.

One such project was to change the hardware in my clothes closet. It had been a rush install when we were finishing up our renovation years ago, and I always meant to replace the drawer pulls with something more considered. I am reminded daily of this little detail so I decided to knock this one off the list.

I chose something simple, that worked with the existing holes in the drawer fronts, but in a finish and feel that complements the rest of my bedroom vibe.

It is a small change, but it gives me pleasure, and fuels my energy and interest to take on something else from that list…

Another project that I recently tackled was adding some new house numbers for our home. It was prompted more out of necessity. My garden has matured over the past ten years (as gardens do), and our existing house numbers were no longer visible from the street. I decided to add some additional numbers to the front fence, making it easier for parcels, people and Uber to find us…

I painted the numbers the same mustard yellow as our front door to add some continuity – the numbers foreshadow the door and connect them to each other.

What’s on your list? What small but significant project can you tackle, to get things moving. Start with something with a high “annoying” factor but low in complexity. Just getting one or two things accomplished sets you on a roll, and before you know it…

Making Space

Normally, the new year is “the” time for resolutions. And usually, resolutions are changes, often significant, that we want for ourselves. Although I do reflect over the holidays about what shifts, large or small, I would like to see in my life, I have learned mostly through failure, that this time of year is an especially difficult time to make changes. My energy level, inspiration, and motivation is probably at its worst – dark days, cold and wet weather not too mention this current persistent pandemic. It is, however, a great time to plan….

What works for me, is taking this time to make space. I still have my goals for change, but I prepare in a different way. I start the new year by creating room, literally and figuratvily. I spend January and February cleaning out all that no longer serves me. Each week, I choose one room in my home and I remove as much as I possibly can that I no longer need or use. I push myself to be honest and accountable: why am I holding onto these seven spatulas when I only need one (or maybe two), these sweaters that are perfectly nice and in good shape, but which I never wear, etc… Have I used this item in the past year? …in the past 5 years? We often hold onto things because the decision to let go seems too hard.

Here are a few tips to make this process easier:

if an entire room seems too daunting, start with a cupboard
before you start, collect some boxes or totes for easy sorting; one for recycling, one for donation, one for family or friends (toys, clothes, etc can often be passed along and appreciated by others), and one for the back lane. It is best to take items that you are releasing directly to the car and then to the intended recipient. Make a trip each week if you can.
you can also have an “unable to release” but do not “use” pile. Put these things in a box, and label. If, in 6 months, you have not thought of or looked for these things, it is time. Chances are, you can’t even remember what is in the box, so don’t open it, and let it go! In all the years I have been doing this, I VERY RARELY regret having let something go.

What you will notice, is that room by room, it gets easier, and you will also begin to feel lighter and more energetic. Be persistent, and complete your home including the fridge, your car, the basement and the garage. By the time you finish, you will be in a much better place to get to that New Year’s list, and get started with making real changes!

Here is a list of a few donation options:

BC Childern’s Hospital https: https://www.bcchauxiliary.com/our-businesses/clothing-donation-bin-program/
Still Fabulous Thrift (604)566-9136 on Main Street, Vancouver
Big Brothers (they pick up from your home)
Crabtree Corner: call for donation appointment (604)216-1650
VGH Thrift Store 2535 E. Hastings (604)876-3731
The Salvation Army 261 E. 12th Ave, Vancouver 96040874-4721

I am always happy to help, if I can, so let me know if you are needing some inspiration or assistance in getting started…or finished!

Resist

Have you noticed that “back-to-school” marketing appears earlier and earlier each year. Mid-July seems appropriate for some retailers to start planting the seeds of fall (for some families, this is barely two weeks into summer), and by now, it is full-throttle! That’s the retailers’ agenda, but is it yours?

I spend from early January through June looking forward to summer, anticipating the long, warm and often lazy days of July and August. With “back-to-school” messaging all around, it is a challenge to block it out and resist the thinking, planning and actions this triggers for us.

I invite you to consider ignoring these persistant marketing efforts. Instead of planning and shopping, why not enjoy EVERY last second of this amazing time of year. Plan a last-minute trip, a back yard gathering with friends and family now that it is safe to do so or a slow lunch in your favourite ‘hood instead of dragging yourself (and your kids?) to the shops looking for a Five-star notebook. Worst case scenario is you are buying pencils and re-thinking the work stations in September, and what is wrong with that?

There are three full weeks left until Labour Day, so what are you going to do with them?

Reduce, Reuse, Refresh

Although the end of the restrictions for COVID 19 seem to be in sight, we are still mostly in a work from home situation and probably like most people, the spaces we are living and working in are getting a bit stale. There is a flurry of updating taking place which is quite understandable. However, I am also a big fan of the re-do which really is a re-shuffle….

This is our family room as it had been for most of the pandemic. Nothing wrong with it (and yes, I did tidy up), but after 15 months, I grew really bored of my surroundings. I get pleasure from the spaces I live in, and with the extended time at home, a few of the highly used rooms just needed a refresh. Nothing needed replacing, just a change of scenery, so to speak.

You will notice that I did not make any big changes; in fact, I did not even move the furniture around (which is unusual for me), but enough to add some new energy and interest. One of the key changes was the art work, which can dramatically shift the tone of a room. Art gets stale and un-noticed hanging in the same place, year after year, so try shuffling it around to create some new vibes in your home. All the “new” elements come from different areas of the home.

So spend a little time shifting your art and even re-thinking the possibilities for alternate placement of furnishings or other objects that your cherish but which have grow stale. Do the shuffle!

Before & After

Helping people improve their homes is a real pleasure for me. Sometimes, the process is quite simple, requiring a few tweaks and a re-think of what goes where and why. This post illustrates a recent transformation…

The above photos show an under-utilized living room. Nothing wrong with the furnishings or art work, just not thoughtfully positioned or organized. The client had been struggling with the layout, as well as how to make the room inviting, and useable. Now more than ever, every square foot of your home must work for you. It is one thing to have a poorly functioning closet – quite another to have a living room that you do not use.

The first step was to re-position the key furnishings to give the room a more spacious feel, in part by creating some visual flow. Because of the neutral tones of the wall colours and furnishings, I selected a multi-coloured hook rug to add some playful energy to the room. The rug selected was also a nod the the client’s Nova Scotian roots and connected in colour and feel to some of the art that they had collected from some of their previous trips. The addition of a wall-mounted lamp creates a well-lit reading nook for some quiet time with views to the fire or the outside. The artwork was thoughtfully grouped and positioned about the room to create areas of interest. A few items were edited out, and used in other rooms of the home.

The owner of this Mount Pleasant home had the following to say about this project….

“The way Molly re-styled my living room was amazing – it has a totally different vibe and feels like a new room! The living room never felt like a place we wanted to hang out. Now I enjoy it daily, reading or having a cup of tea. Molly also helped me select a few new pieces that I needed but was unable to decide upon by myself. My husband and I are very happy with how the living room now looks and feels, and look forward to hanging out with friends when the time comes.”

Collections

Part of what makes a house a home are the personal touches… photographs, objects we acquire from travel or even more personal items, such as collections. They reflect our interests, and they reveal part of us. The growth of a collection and the tandem stories that go along with it tell a part of your life’s journey.

Displaying your collection can be part of the fun. Rather than have items dispersed all over your home, bring your collection together – it will not only have the biggest impact, but you and others will be more inclined to engage with the collection, noting differences and similarities. It creates a conversation.

Depending on what you are into, sometimes you can only realistically display a small portion of your collection. Choose what you have the most connection with – either from the story behind its acquisition, or the story in its pages. If you tire of the current selection, rotate it, keeping it fresh.

The photos above reveal a salt & pepper shaker collection showcased in a bookcase in the living room near a favourite reading nook where it can be appreciated while relaxing. Display your collection in a part of your home that makes sense to you. A more visible location like the living room might work for some, or the office for others… Some may prefer a kitchen oriented collection such as the tea cups in the kitchen, but there are really no wrong choices.

A few other things to consider when planning out how and where to display your favourite things…

Collections have a way of growing, which is the fun part, so plan for this.

Some of us have multiple collections on the go. It can work to display more than one collection together, but sometimes not. Be careful not to make it too busy – you want to be able to appreciate the uniqueness of what you have gathered together.

Once you have thoughtfully grouped your collection, try to work in some lighting. A well-lit collection looks highlighted, artful and enhanced.

Enjoy!

What is Interior Styling?

Interior styling, in its purist form, is the art of arranging objects. This involves not only what should go where, but also what to take away. It is the art of assembling a composition, whether this be the contents of a house, a room, or a bookcase. It applies to any style – modern, traditional, eclectic, whatever you are into – just arranged and curated in the most considered way. It creates the mood of your home, and when done thoughtfully, it tells your story.

Interior design focuses more on the structure and function of spaces: electrical or lighting plans, kitchen cabinets, tile, flooring, etc. Interior decorating focuses more on specifying the furnishings, or the window and wall coverings, for example. In reality, there is quite a bit of overlap between decorating and styling. Furnishings do require occasional updating, rooms often need additional lighting to make them more functional, needs change as we evolve and adjustments are necessary…

I choose to focus on interior styling because it works mostly with what you already have, and surprisingly, a “re-think” and re-configure of what we already possess can often achieve the goal we are after. Interior styling gives results that are more immediate, and projects are concluded in less time with less cost. In this process, I aim to help you tell your story using the objects you already have always keeping in mind how we need to function in spaces, making them “work” for us. Your home should contain possessions that are meaningful to you, and this, in turn, authentically reflects your style.

I hope this clarifies what Interior Styling is and how it can help you optimize your living spaces. As always, please reach out if you have any questions… and Happy New Year!

Getting Cozy

When I hear people talking about preparing for winter and “cozying” up their homes, faux fur throws and fireplaces are not the first things that come to mind. For me cozy equates to comfort, and as I see it, there are two kinds of comfort. One is the obvious comfy couch kind of comfort. The other, less obvious type, is the “mental” comfort we seek. When you walk into your living room or wherever you plan to seek relaxation and comfort, do any “tasks” come to mind? “Oh, I forgot to fix the leg of that chair” or “Damn, I need to get the carpets cleaned…” or ” I can’t believe I still haven’t patched and painted that hole in the wall!” Whatever nagging little (or big) tasks you still have to do….DO THEM NOW! If you are anything like me, it is really hard to chill and relax when you get triggered every time you walk into the room by the “to dos”. Give yourself a realistic time limit in which to complete these nagging tasks, and stick to it. You will reap the rewards, I promise!

Once you have taken care of that business, here are some less obvious and practical things to implement to cozy up for the coming long dark days of November and beyond….

Lighting

First, make sure you have sufficient lighting. Some rooms are under-utilized because the lighting is inadequate. Ideally, you need overhead, accent, and task lighting. This helps create “layers” of light. Task lighting is really important for reading, or other activities that require more focused light. Second, dimmers are crucial for suppling the right amount of light. Low light is cozy and relaxing, and ideal for when you are hanging out with family or friends. Last, make sure you are using warm light bulbs (vs cool light) – a small and inexpensive way to create a warm and inviting space.

Furniture Grouping

Take a look at the furniture groupings in your home. Are sofas and chairs pushed back towards the walls or are they grouped together towards the centre of the room? I see a lot of the former, and while it maximizes space in the centre of the room, it does not create a cozy feeling. Bring your sofa(s) and chairs closer together to create an intimate vignette where you can better connect with others.

Window Treatments

Windows are awesome – the more the merrier and the bigger the better! However, in the late fall and winter months, widows have a cold effect once the sun goes down. Add some form of window covering to windows in your “hanging out” spaces. There are many options here, with fabric adding the most warmth. They also help to block out the outside world, and give you a needed break form the business of daily life.

I recently spoke with Stephen Quinn from CBC Vancouver The Early Edition this past week about cozying up your home. Have a listen, and please reach out if you need some help with achieving the comforts you seek this fall….

Listen now: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-91/clip/15799692

“Back to School”

I always see transitions in life as opportunities – a chance to start something new, make changes, revise plans, routines, etc. The “back to school” transition in September has stayed with me my whole life as the best timing for this, even though it has been a long time since I was at school.

This September, my youngest daughter is starting university, and staying at home. A lot of young adults and families are in this same situation. And because of COVID, other family members are also working from home. In our house, we now require three “work-from-home” stations. For some, you may need more…

I am a firm believer in separating study/work areas from sleep areas, although I do recognize that this may not be possible for some. However, in order to try to maintain this separation, we are re-thinking the use of different rooms in our home. I have realized that, in our particular case, we spend about 95% of our waking, non-working time in our kitchen-family room. The dining room and the living room are used so in-frequently, that they are obvious choices, for us, to create some additional work/study stations.

Other under-utilized parts of the house might be an upper landing, basement (with a window!), guest room if you are lucky enough to have one. Do a slow walk through your home and think about where you spend your time, and where you don’t, as a start for what areas might work in your case.

Things to consider when making a decision about alternative work areas:

-what acoustic barriers are needed, if any, to make this new space work during a zoom call or online live lecture?

-what are the electric outlet sources for computers, additional lighting, and any other power needs?

-how often and how easily can you “pack-up” if needed so that you can still use the space for its original use – crazy idea, but say you have an indoor dinner party and the space you are using, as in our case, is the dining room?

I hope your transitions are successful and aligned with your life goals. As always, I am here to help if you need some advice or support on how best to use the spaces that you have. I wish you all a great September!