​By now you’ve stored most of the holiday decorations and your living room is back to its “old” self, but why stop there. Start the New Year with a room makeover that refreshes your space and gives you a new look on the coming year.
A simple refreshing of a room can have a positive effect on you with little or no expense at all.  Here are a few things to making your room feel new and refreshed for an optimistic year ahead.

Rearrange the Furniture
 
You can transform the look and feel of a room simply by rearranging the furniture. If possible, start by removing everything out of the room to create a clean canvas. Banish the unnecessary, stow the clutter then move the furniture around until you have a visually pleasing grouping. Keep in mind the flow of traffic, the function of the room and the focal point. 
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Add Color
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Paint is trans-formative, and easy to apply. Use it to add color to walls, update flea market furnishings, refresh tired floors, and showcase a room's architectural features. Choose a wall color that promotes a mood and that complement your furnishings and personal style.
If painting is not an option then add some pops of color with brightly colored pillows, a rug, or curtains, it’s an effective way to completely change a room. To get more inspiration check out Sherwin-Williams how to tutorials. 

​ Add Texture
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Apply texture and color to walls with easy to remove peel and stick wallpaper, decorative wood panels or decals. Relatively inexpensive, they can add depth and interest to an otherwise flat and dull wall. Add it for a stylish accent to one wall or to the back of bookcases to create interest. Check out stikwood.com for some wood inspiration and wallpops.com for wallpaper or decals. 

Shop Your Home
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You can make a striking change to a room by simply using things you already own. Bring in furniture and accessories from other spaces.  If you have wall to wall carpet, layer it with a rug from another area.  Switch out your night stands with end tables. Swap out lamps from other spaces or simply update your white lamp shade with one that has color.

​Style your accessories
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Whether it’s bright Fiesta ware or Chinese vases, collections conveniently highlight a theme and introduce colors and patterns, while creating interest. Knickknacks have the greatest impact when grouped by color, shape, or subject matter. Vary the height of object to create movement and interest. Stack books and display collectibles on trays. Finally top off the styling with plants or flowers that make the room come alive.  (Check out my blog on styling for more tips) 

​With these few simple steps you could shake up a room for a fresh outlook in the new year. 
​Happy rearranging. 

​The Los Angeles Design Festival is an annual citywide celebration of artistic talent that honors LAs' design community and celebrates its status as a global design capital. If you live on the West Coast of the United States LA Design Festival is definitely a must-visit event in the month of June. The Design Festival organized programming around four areas, Culver City, La Brea, Silver Lake and DTLA. Each district features a hub where guests could pick up information about the Design Festival; attend programs, events, shop and explore.
 
I chose to concentrate my weekend around the hip DTLA area, it’s a tapestry of creative neighborhoods form South Park to Chinatown that houses countless architecture offices, art galleries, amazing shopping, and much more, it’s a challenge to condense all the creativity into one weekend of programming. Here is a glimpse of my few days of design.   

​(Click on the images for a better view)

At a young age, while living in the Caribbean with my grandparents, I developed an affinity for color and intentional design. Our neighborhood streets were alive with brightly painted homes in vibrant hues, and tropical plants climbed out of ornate pots adorning doorways. Perhaps it was this exposure that first influenced my appreciation of bright and rich colors. I am still affected by that Caribbean neighborhood today, as I use bold design concepts and multicultural influences in most of my projects. As a designer, that early influence created a hunger to see more unique settings and put me on a course to explore the world.

As I travel the globe I'm constantly seeking inspiration. Whether I'm in the heart of Europe, Asia, or the vast U.S., searching for inspiration is always a top priority. Through the eyes of a trained designer, I see purposeful beauty crafted by man in every corner of the globe: hardscapes and their architecture, emerging neighborhoods, at weekend markets, or at local museums. Each community, region or country I visit has a distinct and eclectic style all it's own that can be used as a catalyst for upcoming work.  Download the full article.