uninspired?

Are you feeling uninspired? Stuck for ideas? Facing a room that needs a little something, but don’t know where to begin?

It happens. And it’s ok to admit it.

In fact, it happens to me too. It’s happening right now. So I was thinking about all of the things I do to get inspired and I thought some of these tips may help you too.

Here are some tips and tricks to inspire:

• Don’t worry about having a plan for an entire room right away. Start small…with one item and slowly build on it. This way, you won’t get overwhelmed and give up!

• Look for inspiration in obvious places – don’t over think it!
o Flip through design magazines. Even flip through a fashion magazine or two.
o Watch a couple of design shows…HGTV offers a bazillion.
o Visit a couple of design and décor websites and blogs.
o If there is a paint color you love, grab a bunch of the paint chips to have on hand while you start to develop your ideas and look at accessories.

• Look for inspiration in the not so obvious places, too. This is my favorite way to get inspired!
o Visit home décor shops…both the big box and the smaller boutiques to slowly browse.
o Pay attention to colors, patterns, shapes and styles.
o If any item speaks to you, that may be your starting point. It could be something big or something small. Consider a lamp, a vase, dishware, a piece of furniture...anything, really.
o Don’t forget to look at fabrics and textiles…these often trigger something and are excellent jumping off points that lead to an entire room inspiration!
o Look at bedding, rugs, pillows, table cloths, and curtains. And don’t forget wall paper and wrapping paper, too!
o Go to your closet. Pick out your favorite dress or outfit. Think about how it makes you feel and why you like it so much. Translate that into an idea for your room décor. Keep those elements in mind while you start to build your plan for the room.

• Don’t fall into the trap of looking for a complete room – either on display or in a magazine – and feel like you have to go out and buy everything exactly as it is to replicate it in your space.

• Make it personal. Good, complete design that you will want to live with should reflect elements of your own personality.

• Build it up over time and add in layers as you go. No pressure to do it all right away. But it’s important to have a general plan and stick to the overall idea as you go. Great, inviting rooms should evolve as you do!

rouge is going to go out tomorrow with these things in mind and do a little slow and easy Sunday window shopping …maybe I’ll see you on my travels!

And send me a note about something that inspires you, would you?

Wishing you a week full of creativity and inspiration…



For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

aaaaah...cottage time

Please excuse the late posting…rouge was out of town adding a bit of flare to a favorite cottage.

Actually, that’s a bit of a fib. Unless eating off the bbq, wine & jenga, testing the new swimming dock and napping in the hammock count as re-design!

I did actually help spruce up said cottage not so long ago, though. A coat of paint in the entire place to freshen it up – we used light and airy colors like soft pastels (light blues, light greens and light creams) – made the biggest difference. Goodbye old wood paneling, hello to “what looks like new” fresh and cosy bead board!

We pulled up all the old carpeting and painted the floors a dark chocolate brown. I can’t even describe the difference this made in getting rid the musty smell. We added dollar store rag rug in each room for added comfort and a pop of color.

But that was a lot of work. Here are a few simple tips that are great for making your cottage feel more welcoming.

In keeping with what a cottage is supposed to be (not too fancy, laid-back, relaxed, fun), the key is learning to use what’s around you. There are lots of things that can be used in different ways to add a little something extra to your space.

And it all works, because it’s using items or elements that are in the cottage’s natural environment.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Sadly, there were a number of trees that had to be cut down. Although all of this will be great for the wood stove, we used a number of the stumps to help define the path from the parking area down to the front door. What a difference!

• We used a couple as side tables…perfect for placing your drink, book, hat, sunscreen on while lounging on the sunny deck. These work as a footstool too!

• We also used one inside as a bedside table for a bed that was low to the ground.

• We transplanted a lovely hosta (that somehow survived the bulldozer) in an old red bucket we found under the cottage. This adds a pop of color by the front door.

• Every time I visit, I stop along the way to pick bunches of wild flowers to put in the cottage. I never show up empty-handed and it’s wonderful to enjoy them for the weekend! Use anything you can find, if you don’t have any vases…water pitchers work the best, but bowls, buckets, and jars work great too.

• We used an old wooden salad bowl that was left over from the old owners and filled it with pine cones. The kids love finding new ones to add to it each time they visit!

• Also found under the cottage and left behind by the previous owners was a vintage croquet set. We used it as an art piece…and it’s one of my favorite items in the cottage because it makes me think about the history of the place and makes me imagine a much simpler time. I love the wood, the rust and the stripes on the balls.

Keep it simple, keep it clean and you can’t go wrong. Choose items that have some meaning to you…or even just items you love. Bring in a few elements from the outside and use your creativity to use everyday items in a new way.

In no time, you’ll have a wonderful cottage that you’ll never want to leave!

Special thanks to the BBG’s for inviting me to play again and again.

xx rouge.


For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

rouge recommends...

If you are looking for some inspiration, check out this gem of a book. It was published in 2008 and is considered one of the best out there -- it's highly recommended by many in the design world…

Domino: The Book of Decorating cracks the code to creating a beautiful home, bringing together inspiring rooms, how-to advice and insiders' secrets from today's premier tastemakers in an indispensable style manual. The editors take readers room by room, tapping the best ideas from domino magazine and culling insights from their own experiences. With an eye to making design accessible and exciting, this book demystifies the decorating process and provides the tools for making spaces that are personal, functional and fabulous.

It's available at Chapters and Amazon for about 25 bucks.

For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

last minute (wo)man

(living room before & after)

Thanks for your indulgence on last week’s topic. Now on to other promises….

rouge recently completed a last minute staging job on a great 1 ½ story home in Halifax’s west end.

Under normal circumstances, we do a home evaluation first, leaving the client with a list of suggested repairs and a list of things to pack-up, remove…etc to be completed within a few days. In the meantime, rouge is working hard on generating ideas, making a staging plan, and picking up whatever is needed. Then we go back in and do the actual staging.

This, of course, is under ideal circumstances. We are very flexible, depending on the client’s & realtor’s timeline and can condense this process accordingly. Like anything else though, something has to give…either time, money, or product.

In this case, there was a very limited timeline. The cients found, made an offer, and bought their new home before they even really started looking. The purchase was conditional on the sale of their current home that hadn’t even been listed yet. And they had a short time in which to sell.

So tight timeline, as in…”can you come stage this house tomorrow and do the best with what you’ve got?”

It’s a challenge walking into a job blind…but it’s a challenge I love. Luckily, the clients were incredible – totally open to anything rouge suggested and they were ready to work.

Also as luck would have it, there was very little de-cluttering to do. On average, homeowners need to pack away 2/3 of their “stuff” before good staging can occur.

In this case, the homeowners were busy packing away closets and other things as rouge was working in another room.

We were efficient. In fact, rouge didn’t get all the “before” pictures because the clients were like a whirlwind in packing, de-cluttering and hauling out stuff going to storage!

At the end of the day, it was almost done. A small list for the clients to complete the following day. They did exactly that and listed their home in top “showing” condition in record time.

rouge is also thrilled to report that the home sold on the day it was listed with competing offers!

And we are sending our congratulations (twins!) and very best wishes to them as they move into their new place in the coming weeks.

For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

rock it, ladies!

I know I promised more on a last minute staging job I just completed, but you’re going have to wait another week….

Because I have to beg your forgiveness (again) for going a bit off topic here, but this tip is too good not to share.

Ready? Costco has ¾ of a table of Rock & Republic jeans (www.rockandrepublic.com) up for grabs. If that means nothing to you, it’s ok, but you likely won’t bother to read on….

Two “washes” available, both in the Stella cut. Price = $98.99.

I would never pay $250-300 for jeans. Never. But seeing these at a mere 1/3 rd of the regular price? I still had to convince myself to go back for these and at least try them on. Of course, you can’t try anything on at Costco, but their return policy is stellar, so there is no risk there.

I have been afraid of the skinny jean. They really go against everything I know about dressing my body shape. And some of the skinny jeans I’ve seen are ridiculous…going back to my junior high / high school days where girls painted themselves into those things. (Yikes. That can’t be good for you for soooo many reasons!)

The Stella cut is actually promoted as their “straight leg” cut…but I beg to differ. That's skinnier than I thought I'd ever dare to go.

Anyway, back to me. As I mentioned, I had to convince myself to go back and at least try these for this kind of price.

About 3 seconds after being so happy these babies actually fit, I discovered the difference that an expensive pair of jeans can make. They fit PERFECTLY. And that never happens to me...that's why I mostly wear dresses and skirts, actually.

My butt has never, ever looked so good in my life!

I rocked those skinny jeans out at a party last night and got lots of compliments...”have you lost weight?” “You look great tonight.” “Sexy jeans…where did you get ‘em?”

I already know they will be my absolute favorite jeans. I've got them on again today...this time rolled up so you can see my nice flat shoes for running Saturday morning errands. Equally lovely. And butt still looking great.

Two handsome boys actually whistled at me on the street after saying hello as we crossed paths on my way home…(ok, so that might have been a touch creepy, but still!)

Bottom line is this: Haligonian fashionistas…get ye to Costco.

For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

fabulous settee mini makeover

Here’s a peek at a little project I’ve been working on for my own house…

I spied this fabulous antique settee in my favorite antiques shop a little while ago (see "one of my favorite places" blog from April). After leaving it behind that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it needed a new lease on life and a new home.

Luckily, I have people in my life who indulge my obsession and I was able to convince them to go back for it, negotiate a wicked price, store it for a month, and then deliver it to Halifax for me. (You know who you are….THANK YOU!!)

When I put it in my living room, the scale was a bit off compared to my other furniture. I removed the wonderful old castors (and I don’t want to think about how many years of gunk!) and now, it’s the perfect height.

Don’t worry, I’m saving the original castors for use some day on some other fabulous piece, yet to be discovered.

While I’m not really into true antiques, you have to appreciate this one. It’s Victorian, so it’s original to the 1890’s to 1905’s. It’s an incredibly solid piece of furniture and the woodwork is ornate and beautifully carved.

I only hesitated for a minute or two before breaking out the high gloss black paint. This piece now has a modern twist on a vintage look…and that’s what I love.

I must admit that the upholstery (which I’m sure is not original!) now looks way more gold with the strong black frame, but it’s in perfect shape and I’m not ready to commit to getting it reupholstered just yet…

So, I’m living with this huge splash of color in my living room and learning that I really can live with it!

And now I have a lovely spot to faint, should I need it.

That’s it for me for this week. It’s been a busy one with a last minute staging job thrown in, so more on that next week…




For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

smart tiles

A friend of mine told me about this product -- self adhesive wall tiles. I did some digging and it’s actually a new product from a new Canadian company called Smart Tiles (www.smarttiles.com).

Based in Quebec, the only place you can get your hands on these in Canada is at Home Depot. I found them in the Home Depot in Dartmouth Crossing…in the wall paper section, tucked away in a small rack near the end of one of the isles.

You really have to see and feel these to be a believer. (Thanks for the tip, smarty pants...I like the way your decorating mind thinks!)
















Here’s the write up from the brochure…

“This revolutionary, innovative and unique concept of self-adhesive Smart Tiles enables you to decorate your walls with a daring touch of novelty and extravagance. Available in a variety of different collections, Smart Tiles sets itself apart mainly because if it’s MOSAIK line. This line looks so real as it is often mistaken for the conventional glass tile. It’s made with our 3D GEL technology that is self-adhesive, flexible, durable and trouble free. No additional glue or special tools required, Smart Tiles adhere to any clean and sleek surface…”
















Although I haven’t used this product yet, but I plan to the first chance I get. It’s an impressive product. Perfect if you are trying to do something quick and easy to add a whole lot of polish to a kitchen. Or if you can quickly cover up that hideous, dated tile the homeowner just had to have because it was the trend a number of years ago and are now stuck with. Imagine the benefits that would have in staging a property!

Also imagine adding this product to your own home…instant backsplash in a kitchen, laundry room or bathroom. How about in your little nook with barstools?

Perfect for decorating for renters, too. Enjoy them in your space now, and take them with you when you go. Lots of creative options here!

It’s not cheap. In fact, it could get pricey if you are thinking about tackling a large area. But it’s a heck of a lot cheaper and easier than buying the glass tiles, learning to (or hiring someone to) install and grout them. Scissors and a little patience will get the job done on your own.

For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com