I just got back from presenting my first “Designer is In” seminar at my local HomeGoods store in St. Davids Pennsylvania and I am so excited about all the wonderful shoppers I met today! I had a great time talking about the many ways to use accessories to completely transform a room in your home and loved all the ideas the guests shared with me.

One of the shoppers I met was designing her first apartment and was looking for ways to work with the existing paint color and countertops in the kitchen. She was looking for some accent items to add to that space to give it her own unique look and for some accessories to give a new look to her existing furniture.

Another client I met brought photos with her of her living room- she had found some wonderful accent items at her local HomeGoods and the room looked great! Her dilemma was how to make her existing sofa look more up to date. I recommended that she add some vibrant accent pillows to give it a mini makeover. She also was redesigning her dining room and wanted advice about how to incorporate a black and white color scheme. After the presentation she showed me her fabulous finds- a ceramic Asian style garden stool to use as an end table with a lamp and some lime green pillows to give new life to the sofa. For the dining room she scored some tall curly willows with black and white accents to give height and drama to the corner of her dining room. I hope she shares photos with me soon so we can see how the project turned out!

I also got to meet two wonderful shoppers who brought floor plans of the rooms they are designing. One guest was remodeling a room in her home and wanted advice about how to place the furniture- her family wanted a bulky sectional that limited access to the room by partially blocking the entrance from the hallway. We discussed her options and decided to create 2 separate seating areas. She then decided to give the room a more polished look by removing an older bookcase and adding new accessories to give it a new style. I hope she visits this blog and shares some photos of her completed project.

Another client was building a new Summer home near the water and needed advice about paint colors and furniture placement. She had some really wonderful ideas on how to use her existing furniture and give it a new look by introducing a new accent color. I am excited to see the final results- she is painting her china cabinet blue and I am sure it is going to look gorgeous with the shore inspired palate she has selected.

I really enjoyed getting to meet my local HomeGoods shoppers today! I am going to visit the Montgomeryville Pennsylvania store next Saturday and hope to see you there. Feel free to stop in for my quick design seminar or to share your own decorating ideas! KH