The Spring entertaining season continues with so many reasons and opportunities to have a gathering of friends and family. May Day, Cinco de Mayo, The Kentucky Derby, Mother's Day, Graduation Day and bridal showers are just a few .

Since April showers bring May flowers, this month we'll take a look at tablescapes that feature a floral theme.

For Cinco de Mayo, your colors may tend to be more vivid and the flowers bolder. The more detailed your dinnerware the more simple your floral arrangement should be. As with all good design, balancing the colors, scale, pattens and textures is the key to a pleasing tablescape.

For a Derby Day party, be inspired by "The Run for the Roses" and incorporate the flowers in silver mint julep cups running down the center of your table.

Roses are always appropriate for Mother's Day. Combine the flower associated with your mother's birthday along with various shades of roses to compliment the color. The arrangement could be traditional or a more contemporary design depending on her tastes and/or your dinnerware. A celebration for two or three generations of mothers could include different sizes of long stemmed and miniature roses to represent the generations. Do you have a silver baby cup and spoon? Create a sentimental arrangement using miniature roses in the baby cup on a tray, grouped with a slightly taller arrangement of long stemmed roses. Add a ribbon around the vase and use the same ribbon on the handle of the baby cup, choosing a color from your dinnerware or table linens.

Graduation parties open themselves up to a variety of looks and styles. An an easy, contemporary look is to do a black and white arrangement to tie in with the cap and gown theme. Bring in accents using the school colors. Big fussy arrangements will look out of place here so less is more.

May Day, Mother's Day and showers bring to mind feminine table settings. If you have dinnerware with a floral design, it isn't necessary to use identical colors in your tablescape arrangements as long as the colors are harmonious In fact, you may not want to use flowers at all. Leaves, flowering branches, and botanical accessories may be the better choices.

If you happen to have tableware like the setting pictured above, a floral arrangement could be overwhelming. Ivy bowls tied with ribbon, small potted ferns, and other smaller arrangements of greens could be the perfect accompaniment. For information on the dinnerware shown, please click on the link below. For more ideas on how to use your dinnerware and accessories in fresh ways, contact me!
~ Pam Faulkner

Spacious walk-in closets are becoming more and more popular for today's homeowners. Minimalist furniture arrangements and the logistics of moving large dressers and armoires have some people doing away with their dressers and armoires. Clothing needs to go somewhere, and homeowners have turned to master closets.

Like bathrooms and kitchens, spending on closets is practical because they can improve your daily life. Manufacturers are noticing the demand and have increased the shelving products designed specifically for closets.

Compartmentalizing your closet with shelves, baskets, drawers and bars is one way to make sure your clothes are stored neatly and so that you can find them quickly. White melamine shelving is perhaps the most basic and popular closet cabinetry, while many high-end homes are featuring wood grains like cherry and cedar. There are a number of products that can be custom ordered to install in your current closet. Fancier displays are built-in with wood backing so the walls aren't visible. Other features may include crown molding and drawers with clear fronts so you can see what's kept inside. For closets with enough room, a center island is a must-have. Many feature granite countertops that can be used for folding clothes. Underneath are drawers and shelves which match the rest of the closet decor.

One way to justify the space required for a large, walk- in closet is to turn it into a multi-purpose laundry station. You can do this by including a pullout ironing board or tilt-out hampers to separate darks and whites. Here are some of the other handy gadgets showing up in master closets:

· Valet rods
· Safes
· Full-length mirrors
· Slide-out pant, belt or tie racks
· Shoe cubes or slanted shoe racks
· Jewelry drawers
· Benches
· Chandeliers
· Task lighting
· Electrical outlets for plugging in irons, steamers, electric valets, and electronics

Info courtesy of Lowes.com

Referred to as Chinese garden stools, seats and tea tables, these versatile pieces have been a staple in gardens for many years. The styles commonly seen are barrel-shaped and are usually decorated in blue and white designs, intricate florals or in solid colors, sometimes with a crackle finish.

As their popularity has increased, so have the availability of colors and shapes to go with nearly every decor. The styles shown are just a few examples of the new looks.

Used as occasional seating, side tables, display pedestals or just as an accent piece, they can be found in a variety of sizes and a wide range of prices.

PaintIdeas.com has an easy project idea for turning a planter into a customized beverage cooler. This is a great alternative to ice chests. The planter may be left fairly plain to coordinate with any party theme or painted to fit the occasion like a rehearsal dinner, retirement celebration or holiday parties like the 4th of July. Check out your local garden supply store now for the best selection and allow yourself time to be inspired. Your project will be ready in plenty of time for your entertaining needs.

If you've been Spring Cleaning you may be thinking to yourself, "Why do I have all of this STUFF?" The urge to purge may have hit you and you are doing a clean sweep, eliminating the things that tend to accumulate in a home over the years. Maybe you or someone you know is moving. Now is a good time to take stock of what you own and do an inventory of your possessions, room by room.

Inventory books have been mentioned here before and there are several excellent web tools for making a home inventory easier. One site is the statefarm.com Learning Center. You'll find articles and online calculators there as well.

Interior Redesign is all about using what you have. With an updated home inventory you will know what you have!

Thank you to those who attended my Spring presentation at Circa on April 27th. The gloomy weather was completely forgotten once inside the store which definitely looks and feels like SPRING!

Thanks also goes to Betsy Rutkowski, the owner of Circa, who opened her store on Sunday for our use, provided scrumptious refreshments, and gave generous discounts in addition to sale prices to those attending.

Circa's Spring Sale continues through Saturday, May 3rd.

The Redesigner's Notebook is devoted to tips and articles relating to interior redesign, decorating, entertaining, organizing and related subjects, and will include contributions from members of the Interior Redesign Industry Specialists association, I.R.I.S., 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 our subjects of decorating, real estate staging, entertaining and organizing please contact me. Your comments and suggestions are always appreciated!
~ Pam Faulkner, Faulkner House Interior Redesign