The holidays are over but here is a "gift" for those of you who are thinking about remodeling a kitchen or bath in the near future. Metro Washington Home Improvement Magazine, (wwww.metrodchomeimprovement.com), offers a guide to planning your perfect space. Click on the link below to download your project planner.

Free Kitchen and Bath Project Planner

Take a break with these lower calorie, warming winter beverage ideas suggested by registered dietitians on iVillage.com:

Warm-Me-Up Beverages by Lynn Grieger

1. Mix 1/2 package of sugar-free hot chocolate and 1 teaspoon of instant decaf coffee with hot water in a coffee mug (28 calories). -Sandy Livingston, RD
2. Mix an entire package of sugar-free hot chocolate with coffee instead of water (56 calories). -Marni Stevens, MS, RD
3. Add 1 tablespoon of chocolate Ovaltine powder and 1 tablespoon of nonfat French vanilla creamer to a mug of steaming-hot coffee (180 calories). -Cristen Harris, MS, RD

I have received so many beautiful holiday cards over the years and have found different ways to use them. In my craftier past I decoupaged the illustrations to glass balls, small glass or wooden plaques (to use as ornaments) and to planters or containers for floral arrangements. My sister and I even made layered 3D ornaments one year when several of the same cards were received. ( I still have them. They remind me a little of stained glass when the tree lights are behind them.)

Decorative elements from the cards can be used to create place cards and embellish napkin rings and votive candle holders. Create your own holiday storage boxes by decoupaging designs onto plain craft board or other boxes. Or simply frame your favorites to hang on your tree or cluster in an arrangement on a table.

If you have a interesting way to use your favorite holiday cards and would like to share your idea, please email me and I will include it in next month's issue.

While your last trip is still fresh in your mind, plan what to pack for the next trip.

List items you usually need or pack for trips. With adjustments for the type of trip/time of year you will see patterns of the things you Always, Sometimes and possibly Never need. You'll also see where you tend to over or under pack.

A hanging organizer allows you to pre-pack the things you always need. Hang it in a closet where you can add to it as you prepare for traveling. Then fold or roll it up to pack in your bag. Hang it up when you reach your hotel and your clothes and accessories are easy to access and repack. No more digging around in your bags for the things you need.

Most hotels furnish hairdryers and irons, making travel size versions unnecessary. If you aren't choosy about your shampoo and conditioner use the complimentary product provided which will eliminate even more travel weight and give you a bit more space in your luggage.

Don't pre-pack makeup, perfumes or medications unless you travel very frequently. All will suffer from long term storage. Avoid full size containers of anything unless necessary. Smaller plastic bottles, jars and zip bags save space and eliminate excess weight, as well as comply with airline regulations for carry-on luggage

Just as we repurpose in redesign, packing dual purpose clothing for travel saves space and weight. A light weight, wrinkle shedding all weather coat with a zip-out lining is one example.

If your luggage has seen better days and you need replacements, take the time to compare brands and features for those that fit way you pack and travel. Check the empty weight of the piece, its overall size and how easy it is to maneuver with weight inside.

Finally, make lists of what you need to pack, highlight those you tend to forget and tape it inside your bags. You will thank yourself each time you prepare for your next trip.
~ Pam Faulkner, Faulkner House Interior Redesign

As I am writing this our first season's snow is slowly melting. Will we have a mild or wild winter? The only certainty is that you want to prevent shoes from tracking in debris right at the door.

Boot trays come in many styles and are the easiest way to contain dripping boots and shoes. Placed right inside your entry next to a chair or ottoman, it indicates to those entering your home that you wish them to remove their shoes. If you are selling your house this can be the key to keeping your floors and carpets spotless.

Basic plastic boot trays for as little as $8 can be found in hardware stores, Linens N Things, The Container Store and Plow and Hearth. More decorative styles like the embossed steel tray shown are available online through catalogs such as Grandin Road, Lillian Vernon and Ballard Designs.

Decorative Boot Tray

If you received a new phone for Christmas or know someone who did and would like to donate your old phone to a good cause, consider Cell Phones for Soldiers. AT&T is now offering all 1,800 company-owned wireless store locations across the country as drop-off sites to help recycle used cell phones for the program, through July 2008. Click on the link below to read more on the project and to find out how you may help.

Cell Phones for Soldiers

The holidays are over and the decorations are packed away. Rooms may look a little bare, particularly if you removed furniture or accessories to accommodate the seasonal change. Now is the time to take stock and maybe make changes to your everyday decor. Instead of putting everything back exactly where is was, try a fresh approach. Enter the concepts of interior redesign-different combinations can give your spaces a new look and feel, quickly and affordably.

I always advise taking notes about things you see that you would like to change. Take photos, too. Then as you reassemble your rooms you will have a better idea of the changes you may want to make.

For more information on how you can freshen or even recreate you rooms, contact me at, 703-689-9886 or by email at FaulknerRedesign@aol.com.

Staging can be as simple as de-cluttering or as involved as hiring outside contractors to do remodeling projects around the house, but throw winter snow, ice, and cold into the mix and you have a whole new set of issues to deal with. Don't let winter get in the way of selling your home. Follow these few simple tips to make sure your home continues to show well.

• Keep all walkways and stairways shoveled and de- iced so potential homebuyers can safely get inside. Keep the driveway plowed for the same reason and to show how accessible your home is.
• Make sure gutters are secure and remove any icicles hanging over doorways.
• Put a decorative doormat just inside the door to protect floors and carpeting. (Also try shoe trays; see above)
• Make the entryway welcoming. Use a bench or coat rack to give guests a place to put their outerwear. Hang a mirror to reflect light and add a plant or floral arrangement for softness and color.
• Bake cookies or simmer potpourri just before a showing for a warm and welcoming feeling.
• Make up the beds with layers of bedding and pillows for a cozy and comforting appeal.
• Consider having a fire in the fireplace for ambiance only if it will be tended.
• Make sure your holiday decorations are put away but consider keeping some seasonal greens, berries and a few white lights for a festive atmosphere.

Anything you can do to give potential buyers that "winter wonderland" or "home for the holidays" feeling will help them to visualize just how great it would be to live in your home.~ Lori Brasseur

In addition to the shoe and boot trays, door and stair mats are a must to have during the winter not only to cut down on tracked-in messes but for safety. Heated door mats and stair mats/treads are new to me. Why hasn't someone come up with these before? No mat does any good under inches of snow which is what happens when we get a day of continuous snow or sleet. What a great thing not to have to clear off your front porch or stoop constantly. I'm going to suggest all of my staging clients look into these products!

For more information click on the link below. Also look at heated doormats and stair treads at www.hammacher.com

Heated Doormat

Home Depot's Style Ideas magazine did a survey * of its readers about their most difficult rooms to decorate:

• 40% said the kitchen was the most difficult
• 33% said the living room
• 26% said the master bedroom
• 18% said the master bathroom
• 13% said the dining room

So if one of your New Year's resolutions is to finally do something about your rooms, take heart. You are not alone. You also have an interior redesigner who can take your rooms from functional to fantastic in as little as a day. Why wait? Let's get started!

*Did you notice that the figures add up to more that 100%? Hmmm...

Contact us

Are you ready to get organized for the new year? Have you read books and tried various systems but nothing works for very long? You need help getting organized- and my Chaos Control Classes will help you cut through the clutter to find a method for getting your disorganization under control for good.

Whether you have run out of room to store seasonal decorations, your closets are a storage joke, your basement could be an archeological digging site or you are drowning in un-filed papers, we can get you back on track. More in depth and hands-on than a Redesign Party, the class shows you how to conquer clutter, purge your closets, store your possessions and create custom filing systems that make sense to you-and that you will really use.

Like Redesign Parties, the class comes to you! Hosting a class for you and your friends couldn't be easier or more convenient. Each class is designed to address your particular needs and comes with a guide full of organizing ideas, tips and sources to make this your most organized year ever.

How can you get "in the know"? Call or email me now for information about Chaos Control Classes at 703-689-9886, FaulknerRedesign@aol.com, or simply click on the link below.

Class availability is limited so please reserve yours early!

Contact us

The Redesigner's Notebook's first issue was e-mailed in April 2005. It is devoted to tips and articles on interior redesign, decorating, entertaining, organizing, real estate staging and related subjects, and has and will include contributions from members of the Interior Redesign Industry Specialists association, I.R.I.S., some of whom are listed below.

If you have an interest or question that you would like to see addressed, or a community event that you would like to see included that relates to the subjects listed above, please contact me. Your comments and suggestions are always appreciated.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter along to your friends (see the handy link at the bottom of the newsletter) or refer them to our web site for current and archived issues.
~ Pam Faulkner, Faulkner House Interior Redesign

The Redesigner's Notebook

email: faulknerredesign@aol.com

phone: 703-689-9886

web: http://www.faulknerhouse.com