When I recently decorated for a Wine and Cheese Tasting Party, I had a need for a small wine rack. While shopping, I overheard a couple talking about how impractical these were but I saw lots of possibilities other than for a few bottles of wine.

You've no doubt seen them used to hold rolled towels, so what else can they hold? How about the larger bottles of water, skeins of yarn, magazines and newspapers? Racks that have closed sections can hold craft equipment or silk flowers separated by colors. Office equipment that can clutter the desk top- staplers, scissors, measuring tapes/rulers, felt tip markers, bottles of glue and more can be neatly stored with easy access. Racks come in sizes that can fit into cabinets or sit compactly on a counter or desktop.

Do you have an "impractical" wine rack stored away somewhere just looking for a new purpose? Try one of these ideas or some of your own. For more on the style pictured please click below.

Fall color is gradually making its way through my garden and along the edges of the woods. It's easy to incorporate the feel of fall no matter what your decor may be if you stay with simple compositions.

Pumpkins may seem over-used but look at the forms and colors and try them in a different way. Pumpkins don't have to be orange. They can be peach with a mottled white frost effect, silver with silver highlighted leaves, matte or shiny black with silver leaves, copper with gold and silver leaves and many more combinations that can be realistic to fantastic. Give an artificial pumpkin from a craft store a customized look to go with your decor.

Look at your accessories and containers for color inspiration and mix them with a bundle of dried herbs, artificial berries and flowers tied with a ribbon or raffia to compliment.

Fill a large brandy snifter, trifle bowl or a similarly sized footed container with mini gourds or pumpkins, and decorative dried seed heads and pods. Display as is or place on a plate, platter, tray or charger that will compliment but not compete with the colors. The photo shown come from Sunset where stylist Berte Walter has used square glass vases as a centerpiece edged with reed stalks. Pull out your seasonal decorations and try new combinations this year. Unleash your creativity! A touch of paint, different containers or a new combination will give you a no or very low cost fresh new look.

Gathering your picnic needs and pre-packing them can make it a snap to take advantage of Fall weather picnicking. Put your totes, baskets and coolers to work or make it easy by picking up a pre-assembled picnic basket or tote. The one pictured is a bargain-check it out at Tuesday Morning online by clicking below.

Does your house need to lose weight before the holidays? Too many goodies like books and magazines, accessories, and accent pillows can make a room look and feel stuffed and uncomfortable. Before it's time to bring out the seasonal decorations, put your house on a diet and get it in shape!

I can help your home lose that weight and keep it off even after the holidays with proven methods for cutting back on the daily intake of things that can fatten a room.

As your home's personal trainer, I can help it loose weight and gain inches of space in plenty of time for the holidays, but as they say on TV, you have to act quickly before time slips by.

Call or email me to set up a consultation and see how fast your house can go from stuffed to streamlined.

FaulknerRedesign@aol.com

703-689-9886

Have you ever walked into a room that left you with a hollow feeling? Or maybe you have seen one in a magazine that was certainly stylish but felt cold?

The trend in today's living is toward a more streamlined, pared down way of living. Less is more has never been more true. But taken to the extreme, it can give rooms a sterile, uninhabitable feel.

Sleek doesn't have to be stark. Easy care doesn't have to mean empty.

I've been to homes that have been staged and they have been nearly stripped of furnishings in an attempt to make them seem large and roomy. The effect is often the opposite. A nearly empty room can't give the potential buyer a feel for how much space there is. It looks like the seller is trying to make the room look bigger with only a little in it. It can also give the effect of a distressed sale-not a good atmosphere for getting the best price for your home.

Certainly clearing the clutter and making the most of the space you have is the goal, but there is a point where less is just less. Before you clear away furnishings, call a professional for a consultation. You can save yourself time, regret and money by getting a personalized plan from an experience redesigner and stager.

For more on my staging services, please call or email me at 703-689-9886 or faulknerredesign@aol.com.

Quick, visual cues can keep you focused and organized. The bright colors and labels on these clips easily provide those cues. Organize.com has two other sets so check them out by clicking on the link below. They could be a fun decoration for a present too-clipped onto a big bow or arranged randomly on a ribbon-wrapped box.

Whether you are addicted to HGTV and decorating shows or you feel decorating challenged, attending my Redesign Parties, will clue you into design secrets, tips and techniques that will jumpstart your redesign projects. The fun and informative parties are offered in real homes like yours. You will learn how easily a room can be transformed from OK to Oh, WOW! using traditional design principles and innovative techniques.

How can you get "in the know"? Call or email me now for information about attending or about the benefits of hosting a Redesign Party at 703-689-9886 , FaulknerRedesign@aol.com or pam.faulkner@faulknerhouse.com