Before/After...

Thank you for all the nice comments on my last post -

thought it might be fun to show you how this room started.

As you can see, the basics were all there - however, the key to a more

cohesive, designed look in this room comes down to a few things -

balance, scale and styling.  The room is an awkward shape and even

has a fireplace that is out of the shot which makes it

difficult for furniture placement.  Adding 'weight' to one side

or another provides needed balance to a room.  In this room's case,

we shifted the furniture {including the armoire} to the right a bit

and also anchored the furniture grouping with a sisal rug.  

Doing this really joined the fireplace area with the  t.v. area.

Before, they looked divided in the one space.

Adding the pair of chairs provided some visual symmetry

in a very asymmetrical room.

For warmth, I added lots of texture and warm wood tones.  Of course,

the art and personal photos make the room personal and cozy.

I purposely left some 'space' on the gallery wall for

the homeowner to add to the collection.

Like what you see?  I would love to help you design

a room you love in your home!  I am taking clients

for work in May and June - just email me at

jill.hinsondesigns@gmail.com for information

on my design services - I work with both locally

{Portland, Oregon} or via e-Design......

Chic but shabby no more....a client project.

My friend and client LOVES the Shabby Chic look.....but

was eager to 'finish' her spaces with a bit more

contemporary touches, texture and an overall collected look.

All of these requests are right up my design-loving alley!

For full disclosure, the spaces were pretty terrific 'as is'.  This homeowner

has done alot of renovations and is a collector of beautiful

vintage pieces so I had a great base with which to work.

She just needed help on bringing it all together.

We added classic blue and white pieces {the lamp below is a monster!},

seagrass, tortoise bamboo blinds, reupholstered her french chairs,

added the dramatic Designers Guild pillows, created a gallery

wall using vintage frames with beautiful photos of the homeowner's

FOUR daughters mixed with vintage prints and plates - ahhhh, a collected

look - YUMMY!

This is really my favorite kind of project - I love to get in clients 

homes are really style their spaces to reflect their personalities, 

interests, values and lifestyle.

Ok, it was 75 degrees today - I SO have spring-fever and

need to get out in my gardens!!!  How bout you?

Did the sun shine on you today?

Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery?

The photos above and below were taken by me at 

last year's Farm Chicks Antiques Show in Spokane, Washington.

The photos show one of my favorite vendor's booth -

Uber Chic who specialize in beautiful pieces from Europe.

I literally 'died' over their dyed grain sack pillows last year -

they are just SO good, a sort of updated/modern take

on the grain sack - which is becoming sort of tired

{in my humble opinion, don't hate me grain sack

lovers....}.  The dyed version were genius - at

least I thought so.

Admittedly, I did not capture their goodness nearly

good enough - but you get the idea.....

Imagine my surprise today, when as I search Pottery Barn's website

for some pillow options for a client, I stumbled

upon this photo below on the Pottery Barn website.

I get it - great ideas are imitated, recreated.....copied....but

I was disappointed to see the genius of a dyed grain sack

mass produced.......

So what do you think?  Is this ok?

Is imitation really the sincerest form of flattery?

Seems appropriate today.....

It seems elusive these days......

and often I find it overwhelming when

I think of the world my children are 

living in.....I sort of want to 

wrap them up and watch old

Brady Bunch episodes.....

while eating popcorn and ice cream,

of course.....

Praying for you Boston.

Traditional Home and a winner.....

First, I had to share a couple images from the current issue of 

Traditional Home magazine.  This is the home of designer Lillian August and I would 

say it's pretty near perfect.  I love the mix of the chippy

pieces with the more refined/buttoned-up upholstery, makes my heart skip a beat.

These images are the epitome of classic, casual elegance.
To see more images of this beautiful home, go here.

I love this nearly stripped dresser pictured below.

Now, on to the winner of the design board giveaway.......

Mindy Whipple, come on down!  You are the 

design board winner!!!!!!  I actually chose number 17, because

my birthday is April 17th.  Mindy, please email me

at jill.hinsondesigns@gmail.com and we can get 

started on your office!

 I wish I could do 

boards for all of you!  REALLY!  I want to 

rid the world of rooms that homeowners apologize for, feel shame for,

don't want to spend time in, feel don't function well,

don't feel comfortable in, etc.........It's my life mission {ha!}....

*********

If you would like to discuss a specific project, I would

love to work with you - and I promise to make it 

worth your while and at a price that doesn't 

break the bank - I swear! Email me at

jill.hinsondesigns@gmail.com.

Thank you all for the get well wishes AND birthday greetings.  

You all make turning *46* SO much easier!

Despite feeling cruddy, I had 

a nice birthday but have requested a do-over birthday on Saturday -

shouldn't every birthday be on a Saturday anyway?

Happy Birthday to me.....and a giveaway for you!

Today is my birthday. 

 Unfortunately, I am blogging from 

my cozy bed - I am down and out with a nasty cold

 - no bueno.

This week, my friend Jeanne Oliver wrote a beautiful post 

that really resonated with me.....I encourage you to take the

time to read her words. I feel fortunate to have many 

women in my life like the special ones she has in hers.

Inspired by Jeanne, and to celebrate my birthday, 

I would like to give away a design board to one

lucky Forever*Cottage reader.  Basically, you pick

a room in your house, send me photos, tell me your 

likes/dislikes, budget, how you use the room, and other

pertinent information and I design a room for you. 

Sound good?

******************

To Enter:

** Simply leave me a comment telling me 

which room in your home you would like

my help with - don't worry, if you win you can

change your mind, I won't hold you to it.
** added 4/18 - I will close comments and choose
a winner at 6:00 pm PST tonight!

Jonathon Adler Inspired Design....

Last week I was fabric shopping and came across this grouping of

new HGTV fabrics.  I posted the photo above on Instagram and commented

that I would like to design a Jonathon Adler inspired space using 

these fabrics.  What can I say, this is the way my brain works,

I am weird like that ......

A tried and true design junkie, I am.  Adler is a bit too
contemporary for my home but boy do I think he is a genius.
I love his whimsy and playfulness in design - he just
doesn't take it so seriously. I love that.
And if Mr. Adler would like to send me one of his
fabulous needlepoint pillows that would be nice too.

Pretty, pretty chair....

Good afternoon.

I spent my morning visiting a local client and took this

photo of a chair that recently returned from the upholsterer.

Isn't she pretty?

We are working on choosing fabric for some throw pillows

and other finishing touches - the FUN stuff!

****************

Thank you for all the nice comments about

our pup....so far he seems healthy as can be but

will begin some treatment next week.  I will

keep you posted.

*****************

I am beginning to fill my design queue for the

month of May.  If you are interested in having

me help you design a room {or rooms} in your home,

please contact me at jill.hinsondesigns@gmail.com.

I would love to work with you.

Sweet home Oregon.....

It's Monday evening and our house guests {all SIX of them}

have left after their 10 day visit......it's really bittersweet.

I am completely pooped but in such a good way.

I feel blessed that our family has friends who

are like family, that despite moving a great distance, these

friends spent their precious time and resources to come

visit us.  Our children get along like cousins - with just one

lone boy in the bunch who happens to match up nicely

with my big girl - they create all sorts contests to compete

against one another in and rib each other about girlfriends and

boyfriends and growing up and being a teen and who can do the most 

push-ups and run the fastest......

We covered lots of miles in the beautiful state of Oregon.....

from the gorgeous beach to the majestic mountains......

I love watching visitors experience the Oregon coast for the first time.....

it's such a magical landscape and breathtakingly beautiful....

and on the day we were there, quite chilly!

I wish I could write a post about how to successfully have another whole big

family visit for 10 days and keep your sanity and your house clean....

but no can do..........

I learned to love every crazy, insane, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants dinner, cluttered

house, buying the 10th gallon of milk for the week moments......

watching our families enjoy one another so much was 

priceless and wonderful.  

Now, back to real life with homework {yuck!}, ortho appointments,

laundry, work and added to it - a pooch with cancer{boo, hiss!}..... this

last bit of news was delivered on Friday by our veterinarian and I sort

of put out of my mind while we were still in the midst of 

entertaining our guests.....

I have lots of stuff to show ya - just need to get projects

photographed.....be patient with me......