Nature Knows Best

I'll tell you one of my design secrets...if you want to find great color combinations to use in your space that are soothing and cohesive, look outside.  A long time ago while traveling I was taking pictures of a beautiful hillside in Utah and noticed how well the colors work together.  Since then I have paid extra attention to nature and have used nature as inspiration for interiors.  Yesterday I was exploring a new beach and of course noticed the great color combinations.  I want to share those with you along with some design photos from Pinterest.  Notice the colors and how naturally they go together, and how calming they are.  Look around when you are driving tomorrow and see what color combinations you notice.

KISS THE COOK

The family meeting place...the kitchen.  I loved my kitchen in Texas.  It was the best designed kitchen I've had, and it was big!  Our new California kitchen, where do I begin?  It's small, has wasted space, and no island.  That's right, there is NO ISLAND.  I have space planned and tried to figure out how to get an island in my new home, but no such luck.  Did you know you should have 36-40 inches of space between the island and wall cabinets.  No matter how badly I tried to fit an island in this kitchen, it wasn't going to fit.  It's like squeezing into the smaller size jeans, you know there is not enough room but you still try.  

After calming down about the island I started looking at the kitchen design.  The cabinets were original and the home was built in 1978, so you can imagine how bad they were.  I was going to paint them but after seeing they needed more then paint I decided to get new cabinets.  This also lets me utilize the corners in the kitchen for storage which was dead space.  Due to the size of the kitchen I knew I wanted white, light colors that would flow and make it appear larger.  I went straight to Pinterest and started looking.  I love Pinterest, and I think it has been such a great tool for both clients and designers.  

Another problem was trying to fit some type of eating place in the kitchen.  I wanted a cozy spot where my daughter could do her crafts, my son's could sit and tell me about their day, and my husband could work on his laptop while I pretend to cook.  I finally figured it out...a banquette!   I have just enough space for a banquette, small round table and 2 small chairs.  

Here are some of my inspiration pictures from Pinterest.  Enjoy!

I LOVE THE SMELL OF DRYWALL IN THE MORNING...

After weeks of interviewing contractors, multiple plans, and lengthy preparation, the work finally started!  What a great feeling that is.  I'm always scared about contractors.  You never know what you will really get until the work is finished.  I've had good experiences as well as very bad experiences with contractors, even with the use of BBB checks and calling/visiting references.    Our new home was very neglected and there was signs of damage, a previous slab leak, as well as needing major updating.  Let me tell you what we're doing before we can move in.  The dining area is open to the second floor and when you have a small house like this, you have to use every possible inch.  So we are making that into a loft that the kids will use as their game area. We are adding a wall and door to the previous loft to turn it into a bedroom for my son. As well as adding a wall between the family room and what will be a study.  The upstairs bath is getting partially redone. And the kitchen was original so we are completely redoing the kitchen. Also, due to the slab leak, the floors have to be redone.  There was also roofing, electrical and HAVC issues that had to be fixed. You are probably wondering why we bought this home when it needing this much work.  One, we like the neighborhood and two, it's still the best financial option even with the cost of fixing it.

    

SIGHT UNSEEN

This is not how I pictured buying a home, but then when the choices are sparse, you take what you can get.  My husband started working in California two weeks after he was given a promotion. My daughter and I flew out for a house hunting trip 5 weeks later.  Finding a house you can afford in a nice area is very hard in California.  Each time I would find something on Zillow or Realtor.com and tell my realtor about it, he would look it up and of course it was already under contract.  During our house hunting trip we were not able to find a home but we did find the area we wanted to live.
After all the moving I've done over the years I have become very efficient at finding a home quickly.  Most of the time I only get one or two trips to the new city to find something.  To me, the most important step in finding a home is getting in a good school district.  I would rather have the smallest home in a good school district then the biggest home in a bad one.  Before I ever travel to the new location I research schools.  You're going to think this is crazy but I will tell you one of my steps to finding the right area.  I go online and look up locations for stores such as Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, William Sonoma, Anthropology, along with any other high end chain store.  I figure these companies are not going to put a store in an area with a community that does not invests in itself.  Then I take those area's and start researching the schools.  Go to greatschools.org, go to the district and school websites.  I also go to state websites and look for rankings.  By the time I've done that research, I usually have 3 or 4 areas I'm interested in.  That's when I hit real estate websites so I can see homes and have a list of homes I want my realtor to take me to see on my house hunting trip.

This works unless you're moving to California!  You will be able to close in on a location but finding a home in your budget is very, very hard.  With my house hunting trip over and no time for another trip due to working full time, taking care of the kids, and trying to sell our current home, I told my husband to look on the weekends for a home and good luck!:)  When he found the home we bought he sent me pictures and had to act fast because there was not much available.  I think he did good, and I can see potential.  He was so nervous the entire moving trip to California.  He knew it was going to be a shock for us to see, it needs so much work. That is okay with me though, because I will have fun making it our home. 

 

   

"Why Gypsy Jo?"

"Why Gypsy Jo?"
When you think of a gypsy you probably think of that show on TLC, Gypsy Sisters, or the other show also on TLC My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.  However, this is not what comes to mind when I think of the word gypsy.  The Webster dictionary defines the word gypsy as people that are known for moving from place to place instead of living in one place for a long time.    
I've moved over 30 times and no- I am not exaggerating.  My father was in the restaurant business and would open a restaurant, get it going and then move on to the next restaurant. We moved so much that my parents would just rent homes.  This is important to know because I believe this is where my passion for interior design started.  My mother was amazing, she could take any home and make it look fabulous in a short time and on a small budget.  When you're moving sometimes twice a year, there's no sense in spending much money on something you can't take with you.  Now lets fast forward to college graduation.  My husband and I are starting our careers, mine in Interior Design and his in the automobile industry.  Guess what I didn't know about the automobile industry...they move you about every two years.
Through all these moves I have noticed the regional differences we have in the United States. What people like and desire in California is not the same as what people in New England, Texas and Idaho want for their homes.  Moving so much through out my life has actually helped me with my job.  I can not tell you how many times when meeting with clients, they have described to me what they are looking for, and I am able to predict where they're from.  
Four months ago my husband was transferred again.  A new state, a new home, a new style. Each home has a style and look that is unique and different, and with the right design it can be a show stopper.  For many years my clients, friends and family have suggested I do a blog on interior design.  What more of a perfect time to start one than now.  So why Gypsy Jo? Because that's me, a person that can't stay in one place to long when there are new things to be discovered.  I hope you have as much fun following my blog as I am starting my new adventure. 

Gypsy Jo Home will be up and running soon!