Hi there! Hope you are excited about the 4th of July weekend (yeah!!!). I wanted to send you a quick note to remind you to celebrate the beauty of our country by making your outdoors visually fun for you and your guests; whether you are hosting a gathering or just lounging around. Now I don't mean decorate with cheap looking plastic red, white, and blue color ornaments ... you can do better! Surround yourself with a balance of beauty without breaking the bank.

Decorate with outdoor pillows. Colorful pillows are NO longer for just indoors. Stop by your local Home Depot, they have a colorful selection of fun colorful outdoor pillows. Yes - Home Depot! Colors are great and prices are fabulously economical. Make sure your outdoor furniture has cushions for you and your guests' tushy. Cushions on benches are great especially for kids that love climbing on furniture - protect your tushy, and protect their knees when attempting to climb the furniture all by theirselves.

Now throw a big splash on "the unexpected" by adding an area rug with your outdoor furniture. Do you see how the area rug in the picture above maintains a comfy flow to the space?! Hmm, do you have an area rug hidden away somewhere? Well, take it out! Unless it is an antique rug, use it outdoors even if it is for a few hours to elevate a sense of coziness outdoors.

Below is a new outdoor "floating" lounger that I LOVE:

It reminds me of a flying carpet ... or shall we say "flying bed". Did you notice the area rug under the floating lounger? Cozy, comfy feeling! For more information on where to order or get more info on the above lounger click here.

And have a FANTASTIC 4th of July ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

So, ever heard of the saying "less is more"? Ever thought you could apply that saying to your walls? Well, you can! When people think about wall decors they tend to immediatley think about "hanging" artwork. I encourage you to make your walls "the" artwork for a BIG impact without the clutter. View the picture below. Do you see how sublte the design is ... 3 initials and a circle, yet what a BIG impact it makes within the room. And oh how empty the space above the headboad would be without the design.

Try stenciling, mural applications, or even have an artist paint the design freestyle. Okay, for those who may be a tad bit afraid of the commitment of "paint" on walls try vinyl application decals with spectacular designs that can be easily removable and replaced on the walls. Try changing the locations of the wall decals every season to refresh your room's look. For a sassier unexpected look try adding words to your walls. A great source is www.wallwords.com where you can choose inspirational or fun quotes like "Home of Daddy's World Famous Pancakes" to a kitchen.

The key .... HAVE FUN!!!

~ If you haven't already joined our "Smart Decorating!" community where you receive free interior decorating tips (bi-weekly and sent right into your email inbox), go to my website to subscribe and enjoy www.adasdecoratingsolutions.com.

I have to run out of the office soon to meet one of my clients, and then my contractor; but I spotted this picture and thought it was a perfect example to quickly teach you about balance of color and fabric patterns. Without a visual guide, it may be a little difficult to comprehend why I would .. for example say ... "Go wild and MIX different fabric patterns!" Can you count how many different patterns are in the room picture below?

Lesson # 1:  Don't be afraid to mix different patterns! The design trick is the balance of color!

Lesson # 2:  Forget "Matchy matchy" items. Look at all the furniture legs in the above picture. Every furniture piece has a different style leg. Did you think that the creme color sofa and the creme color armchair were a set? Look closely. They are different - different shape style (sofa has a curved arm, armchair has a straight/boxed arm).

I believe the room is a  wonderful representation of a great comfortable design. However, there is ooooonnne tiiiiny area that I would change or enhance to maintain a balance. Do you see the table lamp to the left side of the room?  Well, when u look to the right side of the room, the area feels unbalanced (a tad bit empty) to me. So I would suggest adding a tall item on the right side to balance the table lamp on the left side. Hmmmm, perhaps a tall plant (the green leaves will pick up the greens hues within the room very nicely).

Okay I have to run out of the office now for my meetings. Oh, stay tuned .... I am designing a decoratig guide that may be PERFECT for you! More details to follow soon. Have a BEAUTIFUL day!

Some people like the smell of a new car, I like the smell of new paint. Hmmm, weird or passionate about interior design??!!  

Perhaps I like it because it reminds me of a new beginning .... new wall color, new room look, new life. But hey, just because I like it doesn't mean that you do. Just like I can't believe that car air-fresheners are sold with the scent of a "new car smell" ... eeeww!

So, if you prefer a minimal smelly paint, then I suggest certain Benjamin Moore brands - which have a low VOC (paint chemicals that may be harmful) . Their paints dry quickly and the paint fume is minimal. However, if you prefer NO VOC, no paint fume smells or chemicals, then use the innovative paint from The Fresh Aire Choice .

It has a limited amount of colors, about 65 I believe, but if you want to paint your room and be able to immediately enjoy pizza within the room you and your freinds just painted, then check out Fresh Aire Choice's color selection and see which color is perfect for you and your health. As much as I like the smell of paint, I do look forward to a cleaner, non toxic planet. Happy painting!

Hmm, I wonder if one day there will be an air-freshener invented that smells like paint without the actual fumes ; )

Hi ! ! ! So summer is around the corner (hot! hot! hot!). But, just because it may be hot outside doesn't mean that your outdoor furniture can't look cool and feel comfortable. Keep your outdoor furniture from looking b-o-r-i-n-g by cool-ifying them with colorful outdoor throw pillows with colors that make you feel happy, relaxed, and comfortable. You may not want to go back indoors zzzzz.

Every space within your room is an opportunity to reflect your comfort and style. So, think outside of the box .... instead of just planning on placing a plant within your space, make it sassy by adding a reading area with a comfy chair, or perhaps turn it into a small library with a bookcase, or if your space is too small for an additional item then jazz up your plant ... try adding halogen light stakes inside your plant pot that illuminate a gorgeous glow of shadows (a subtle addition with a dramatic elegant effect).

Light stakes are available at most Home Depots. Here's a link to the item. Note, the picture on the product box doesn't represent the beauty of the glow well, since in person the lighting can feel peaceful and beautiful at the same time. So go ahead, make your space sassylicious!

Don't be afraid to paint bold colors in your bedroom walls. The designer secret is to have a balance within the room. A bold color in just one wall, such as, the wall where your headboard rests gives an emphasis to your bed making your bed seem even more magestically magnificant. 

Do you think the wall color above is too bright for a restful night sleep? Remember this ...  when you lay down you aren't looking at the color - you would be looking at the opposite direction when laying down. Sweet dreams! Sweet colors!