I love summer in Rochester and the profusion of natural colorful options available to brighten my home.

One specific way I take advantage of the season's offerings is to provide a welcoming experience the moment guests park in the driveway.  They are greeted by a sanctuary of color, waterfalls, and birds in a natural soothing setting.

Another tenet I live by is to bring the indoors outside as a great way to entertain guests and to provide a place for clients to relax. It feels especially wonderful to soak up the outdoors after a long Rochester winter.

Happy mid-summer to you all and I hope to see you soon to leave you feeling beautiful inside and out.

Has anyone heard of a “fandelier”? You read that right—a fan and chandelier all in one!

I recently gave my master bedroom a face lift. I really wanted it to feel like an upscale hotel room…you know like the Ritz.  So I painted it in my favorite white--Aged White by Sherwin Williams—bought new furniture and accent chairs from the Designer Library. All looked so beautiful and serene .

Here was my dilemma though; I love to sleep with the breeze of a ceiling fan but let’s face it, they are all, shall we say, not pretty!

I spoke with a friend who had just remodeled her Florida condo and apparently it’s the latest craze there—fandeliers in every room!!

Crystals give the ceiling a beautiful pattern when lit and the fan blades retract when not in use—you would never know they are there!

​It’s been a great addition to our 100 year old house that doesn't have air conditioning!

Today I want to talk about what window treatments can add to a room.

We have gotten so used to the “Pottery Barn” look keeping everything very white, simple and clean looking that we have missed out on what the right fabric and style treatment can add, not just to your window, but to the entire room.

Instead of it being something we think about last, in reality it should be the starting point. Choosing a fabric that appeals to you can start the process of pulling paint selections, bedding, furniture, flooring and the overall style of a room.

I recently remodeled my living room and, in doing so, I found a beautiful silk fabric in a solid gold color. [I always shop at Décor Fabric and Designs at 900 Panorama Trail] 

I have a very large room with three banks of windows. I decided to create panels on one bank of windows in the solid gold fabric and on the other two I chose a coordinating fabric in a print stripe that pulled in the gold silk, cream color paint on the walls and the grey furniture I have in there.

What a difference it made in softening the walls and quieting the sound. "Warmth” would be the word I choose…exactly what I needed in this very large space.

Think of it like this: your windows are pictures or artwork already on your wall; your window treatments act as the framework to set the style of the room.

When decorating my home for Christmas, I really tend to decorate more for the winter season. I always buy a fresh arrangement (like the one at upper left from Kittelberger Florist) knowing it will last 6 – 8 weeks.

Watering Tip: When watering dense arrangements like this one, place a few ice cubes at the base and they will slowly melt to keep the soil moist!

Another idea is this wreath (center) with the ribbon embroidered with my last name initial on it. It was given to me from my friend Sandy—what a great gift idea!  Pick out ribbon for all your friends and add a boxwood wreath from the public market! The ribbon can be used year after year…another gift that goes well beyond the holidays.

Finally, a holiday bulb that you can literally watch grow—the Amaryllis (upper right). My friend Sarah has started waxing her own (so that they don’t require watering) and collects glass vases throughout the year at tag sales. She puts together beautiful arrangements as gifts for her friends and family. [On a side note Trader Joe’s always seems to have the most economical bulbs and the hardest color to find (white).]

I hope these ideas extend the joy of the holiday season in your home. Fondly, Wendy

P.S. If you have a special home holiday decorating tip you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about it!

Lighting and space are two key factors in choosing a color that will create the perfect backdrop. Whether it’s soft or bold, color can be the “cause” of how we feel when we enter a room.

Will the color you choose create a feeling of warmth in a bedroom, inspire you in a home office, or create a canvas to make your artwork pop?

The spaces we live in—home—should reflect and speak to who we are.

​What I do best is to help guide you in choosing the color and designs that reflect YOUR personal style.

Visit the gallery page for more design ideas. And I'd love to hear your thoughts about how you make your home a more inviting place.