Spring Means Fresh Starts!

Posted on March 19, 2015 by agraceinteriors

Spring 2015 is bringing exciting and new possibilities! I am happy to announce that One Love Interiors is now A Grace Interiors!

Picking a name for your business can be extremely stressful and daunting. You want it to be a reflection of you but also convey to any potential clients what you do. One Love stemmed from me trying to throw my beliefs out into the world. In the words of the great Beatles, all we need is love. So that is where that came from.

One day I wrote on a Houzz.com message board to get advice from other professionals on my One Love Interiors name. One person said when they heard it, they imagined Bob Marley drawing floor plans. The thought of that sounds awesome-mon, but did not portray the professional image I sought.

I wanted to incorporate Grace because that is my middle name and I was named after my grandmother. My Grandma Grace was an amazing woman. My mom always called her a saint. She always helped our family when we were in need, taught me so much and had a certain elegance to her. If I could go back in time and talk to her, I would. She had an amazing eye for style in fashion and in home décor. She would help my grandfather during his home building years, select finishes and decorate his homes. Their Ranch home on Lake Murray in Columbia, SC was spectacular. She had beautiful paintings throughout, lovely china displayed in her china cabinet and curated accessories throughout.

About a year ago, I visited my grandfather in the mountains and we went through some old boxes of stuff from the Columbia house. My grandmother passed away when I was in the 4th grade, and my father shortly after that. All of her belongings were packed away when my grandfather moved to the mountains. The boxes were filled with all the items I remembered as a child. It is amazing what you remember from something as small as an old Avon bottle. She collected little items like that and proudly displayed them. My grandfather let me take what I could fit in my car. I got home, cleaned all the items carefully, packed most back up in a box to store. I left a few items out that I could use in the house. In one of the boxes was a stash of vintage Christmas decorations! Old school tinsel and Christmas balls that current department stores inventory doesn’t hold a flame to. Even plastic nonsense was made with more care back then.

I was named after my grandmother and some of my favorite memories growing up are from her. I know she is watching over me know. I want to make her proud and she deserves to be honored..thus a grace interiors!

High Point Furniture Market 2014

Posted on November 5, 2014 by agraceinteriors

I had the pleasure of attending the Fall High Point Furniture Market this year as One Love Interiors! It was so exciting getting my badge in the mail and putting it into my lanyard upon arriving. Sunday morning I woke up bright and early, hit up the Whole Foods for a vegan breakfast biscuit and almond latte, and hit the road to the Hot Pocket! The night before I made a list of the showrooms that I had to see first.

I always prefer Fall market to Spring for some reason. Maybe it is because the Fall is usually sprinkled with seasonal décor and there is a chill in the air that carries excitement! For those of you who don’t know what the market is, it is the largest home furnishings trade show in the WORLD! Right in our very own High Point (or as I like to call it, Hot Pocket, hmmmm).

One of my first stops was Global Views of course. I learned about GV when I was a designer for a hotel developer and Marriott always specified their products. it is funky, eclectic and global. I truly love every single thing they pump out! They have a brand called Worlds Away that was spot on in home accessories! Here is a photo slideshow of my time at Market. Join me next year and we can peruse the pretties and drink some mimosas at the same time.

Cedarwood Project

Posted on October 10, 2014 by agraceinteriors

I was honored to help two of my best friends purchase their first home! We closed a few weeks ago and it was a very happy day! Real estate is a funny thing…you never know what can happen. The ultimate goal is to close and have both parties be happy which I think we succeeded in. It is a beautiful home located in the heart of North Raleigh and is a hop, skip and jump to North Hills. The two story home features hardwood flooring, updated kitchen, built-in’s, updated master bath and HUGE backyard. The new homeowners are interested in blowing out a wall between the formal living room and family room to open it up a bit. We had a contractor check it out and he said if it was built accurately, then he did not think it was load baring but we never know until we tear down the wall. I have started to work on some 3-D models of the space to give my friends an idea of what it would look like opened up (with added beam for support and without). I hope to purchase some rendering plug-ins soon to assist in giving it a realistic look. For now, for space planning purposes, this really helps.

Word To Yo Mutha : Creative Real Estate Listing Wording

Posted on June 24, 2014 by agraceinteriors

What the Fluff?

Day after day, I fluff our real estate listings at work. Some days I fly through trying to get to my next task and others I thesaurus the junk out of some words. When looking for a new home, you will often see a caption under the photo describing the room and any features it might have. Most agents quickly insert the obvious: “sparkling granite, gourmet kitchen, designer paint color, light and bright room, bring the party outdoors”…overdone and underwhelming. I admit that I do this sometimes as well since I have a million other things on my plate at work. But when I take the time to do it well, it is like music. Seriously, one may even have a fun time doing this. Imagine it is a creative writing class in college and you just had some coffee in the quad while still wearing your flannel pajama bottoms. Relax and let it flow. Need some inspiration? I have compiled some different, creative listing fluff to assist you in your day to day marketing. Take the time to enhance your writing when describing a home feature. You can make even the most ho-hum home sound like a million bucks!

Real Estate Listing Wording/Fluff

statement making

a cooled off paint palette sets the tone for the rest of the immaculate home

family style

a brighter take

keep the conversation flowing

any day can be a special occasion in your bonus room bar

impromptu backyard bash/dance parties

keep the rays at bay

weathered wood

a whisper of color

soothing backdrop

creates a luminous glow

the custom cedar divider provides privacy and frames views

curved path is invitation to the front door

clearly defined entry

stone pillars anchor the walkway

draws out architecture

stunning

showstopper

open air living

bring paradise inside with this fantastic sunroom

looks both relaxed and modern

inviting

dramatic light fixtures

the master bathroom palette evokes the color of a seaside sunset

becomes a getaway for friends and family

visual treat from many angles

The goal is to paint the picture for the potential buyer and help evoke their emotions. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.

Raleigh Habitat ReStore Field Trip

Posted on May 21, 2014 by agraceinteriors

While running around one Saturday in May, I decided to stop by the local Raleigh Habitat ReStore off Raleigh Boulevard. I found some pretty great stuff that could be polished up and given a great home…follow me!

The gorgeous dress with curved drawers, brass pulled and plenty of storage would look amazing as is. You could also get crafty and paint it peacock blue, leave the brass plates and “dip” the feet in shiny gold paint.

They have added more upholstered goods which makes me nervous sometime but with some love and cleaning, you never know!

Ooh boy! Love the flame stich on this one!

I always thought it would be fun to take the tops off these and the bottom and use it as a terrarium or candle holder on a porch.

This looks just like the one I got at North Raleigh Ministries! A can of coral spray paint, paint the clear shelves gold on the underside and BAM!

This metal locker/cabinet has lots of character! Turn it into a back porch liquor cabinet or mount on casters and use as a bar cart.

This trusty drafting table was only $15.00! Even if you do not draw, you could display art on it in the corner of a large room.

A Tisket , A Tasket

Posted on February 18, 2014 by agraceinteriors

I made my way to the Goodwill this past weekend like I always seem to do. Stumbled across these three beauties and thought about this picture I posted here. At $1.98 per wicker item, I was out da doe!

Our guest room is a struggle for several reasons.

It is constantly messy with my “stuff”. Don’t have a spot for something? Put it in the guest room. This drives John bananas! I am the yang to his yin.
I have a hard time committing to my own personal design decisions. It is so hard for me to pull the trigger because I have about a million ideas going at once. I get nervous that once it is up I will hate it and be upset I wasted nails and put holes in my wall. Therefore the guestroom is pretty bare for the most part.

I figure at a price like this, it was exactly what needed to happen. I grabbed my box of nails and the hammer and in 2.5 seconds, had an amazing focal wall behind John’s old college bed.

I figure once the room is cleaned up and I make the bed, they will compliment the circular design in the Suzani pillows I made. These pillows were made with fabric samples I had gotten while at my last job in hotel design. Score!

See what I mean by a catch all? And obviously the bed is still unmade from when John had to sleep in there while I had the pig flu. And yes, those are dolls. The one in the middle used to scare my friends at sleepovers so I had to put her away. Now I just let her scare John 🙂

All You Need is Love E-Design Board

Posted on February 6, 2014 by agraceinteriors

Here is a Valentines Day inspired interior design board for your viewing pleasure. Can you believe everything is from Anthro or West Elm? You can have great style and design with product that is a click away!

To Market We Go! One Love Interiors Hits Up The Fall 2013 High Point Furniture Market

Posted on October 25, 2013 by agraceinteriors

“Does the High Point Furniture Market have a hash tag?” I asked the sales associate at the Moes’ furniture showroom. The girl looked at my like I was standing on top of an 18th century, Chinoiserie Cabinet. When did I become JT and Jimmy Fallon? #oneloveknowspopculture

Eye Candy

I could not help myself but to snap and shoot every amazing, inspiring and colorful vignette I saw. At my side was Heather Salvatore of Chic Interiors who was so gracious to invite me. We started the gorgeous, Fall day with a cup of Starbucks and went on our merry way along I-40. Once Heather parked, we hopped on a trolley that took us straight to the IHFC Building. After checking in, we jumped right into the masses of black wearing, high heeled, exotic language speaking designers. One thing I have learned over the years is to always wear comfortable shoes to the furniture market!

We popped in and out of showrooms such as Currey &Co, Global Views, Arteriors, JDouglas, Uttermost, and Nuevo. Currey & Co. is definitely my new favorite. Thank you Heather for introducing me!

Arteriors was on another level with their club music, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Sunday afternoon drink while looking at accessories? Sold.

We ended the day by visiting the Suyra showroom (#suryasocial). I was just floored by this gorgeous showroom. Truth be told, when I worked for the hotel developer, we never went deep into this showroom. Our goal was to get a free bag and run! Surya is truly stunning! The combination of woven, non-woven, flat weave, colorful, saturated rugs was breathtaking!

High Point Furniture Market Trends 2013 According to One Love Interiors

Some of the hot trends at the market include (but not limited to):

Brass: And you know I loved this……maaaaaan
Tufted Items: chairs, benches, ottomans
Greek Key: I seemed to see this everywhere. Painted on furniture or tacked into a mirror frame with brass nailheads
Nail Heads: Nuff said
Chains: be it small, necklace like chain material for a chandelier or a giant chain table top accessory
Poufs: All shapes, sizes and colors
Mixed Metallics: bring in brass hardware, a gold mirror and pewter lamps
Global and Tribal designs
Agate: This beautiful stone made it’s way into light fixtures, pillow patterns and furniture
Blue: I feel like I saw plenty of Navy Blue! Not old school navy blue, but dark blue with heavy gold/black undertones. new school navy blue.