About 24 years ago, my husband and I purchased our first house. We were young and so in love, just like we are now.
Read moreDallas Decorators Showhouse & Ruthie Staalsen Interiors
The Dallas Decorators Showhouse, sponsored by Traditional Home Magazine has been open for several weeks now here in Southlake! It has been an honor to be amongst the 24 other talented designers from all over the United States, chosen by Traditional Home.
Read more6 reasons why Designers return to High Point Market!
If you are not an Interior Designer then you probably hear Designers talking about how they attend High Point Market each year, sometimes twice a year. So what exactly is High Point Market?
High Point Market is a huge furniture market for all designers that are looking for the perfect unique item for their clients. Everything from furniture, accessories to rugs, bedding and dishes. It literally goes on for miles and miles.
As you know, I was on the Design Bloggers Tour this last High Point Market and I came up with 6 reasons why designers SHOULD be going to High Point Market to build their business and take it to the next level.
The NO 1 reason you should go to High Point is to learn from the best Interior Designers and creatives in the design industry.
For example on the Design Bloggers Tour we got to learn from the Shabby chic queen herself, Rachel Ashwell. There were about 10 of us in a room asking her questions about how she got started and what made her successful, from her failures to her successes. This is priceless information that helps you grow as a person and as a designer. Hearing behind the brand stories is fascinating.
I sat on the front row and listened to Candace Olson talk about her family, her HGTV life and heard all about what she is doing now in her business. You learn so much from listening to the questions asked and can apply the answers to your own business. Quality, quality all the time.
No 2. Overcome your fear of the unknown.
Sometimes we avoid doing things that seem scary because we just can't seem to jump out and try something new. If you are a new designer, I encourage you to go to the next High Point Market. It seems so overwhelming but you can do it. Some of the best people I was introduced to have been on the bus going from one showroom to another! You can do this! Spread your wings! Don't miss something great because of fear! It is crucial to growth in this industry. The relationships you build will be the best investment, I promise.
No. 3 Look through the eyes of other interior designers/stylists and learn new ways to style your clients homes.
This has been a huge thing for me. By walking through the different showrooms, I have been inspired to think outside the box more often. I tend to do that anyway, but it has given me the confidence to go with my style and branch out more often than I do. It gives you something to compare yourself to and encourages you to step it up if needed. I always want to become better for my clients.
No. 4 It's a place to find mentors and be a mentor.
Being at High Point Market has allowed me to be in front of designers that are doing amazing things with their Design Businesses. I have followed them on social media and feel like I know them. However, once you meet some of the talented people face to face, you can learn from them directly. You will be amazed at how authentic and open many of the designers are.
I reached a point in my career where I realized I needed to start being a mentor to others. If you want a business that is thriving and want to grow personally, it is important that you mentor others as well. It is an investment but there are huge rewards on both sides.
I was so proud of Gray Space Interiors (in the above photo, second from left) she showed up because her designer mentor Cheryl Luckett told her she should be there and she trusted her and did it. I know for a fact, it changed the way she looks at design moving forward.
No. 5 See the latest trends and be the first to see new furniture introductions.
Of course we all want to see the latest trends. Some of the trends may not be for your brand but it is so important that you know what is new for your clients. Knowing what is in and what is out is crucial to your business. Nobody wants to hire a designer that is stale and stuck in a rut. Seeing the trends for the next season keeps you excited about new designs and your client will feel that excitement.
The Windsor Smith Collection by Century Furniture was one of my favorite new launches this past market. I love her style because it feels crisp, yet relaxed and inviting.
No. 6 Helps you determine your own design style.
We all have our design styles we tend to gravitate towards. Being in front of unique trends and interesting new products, that have just come out in the market, always validates for me what MY PERSONAL design style is. When you are a designer, it seems that we LOVE a lot of different styles so it's fun to narrow it down to exactly what you love.
Hope you enjoyed my 6 top reasons why you should go to High Point. I hope to run into you at the next High Point Market! I have my cute comfy shoes all ready!
Grapevine, TX Master Bathroom Remodel
Wow, we finished another master bathroom. What a transformation this one is.
The requests from the client were:
More storage space to hide the clutter, updated shower with niches and a bench, new floor tile, new countertops, new lighting, blue paint, updated bathtub and a vanity to do makeup.
BEFORE
As you can see it was in desperate need of a makeover. I suggested that we open up the closed "cave like" shower to make the bathroom feel more open. They didn't need the toilet to be separate because it was functional to them without the swing doors and they don't have anyone else that lives in the home with them.
AFTER
We took the bathroom down to the studs and started over!!!
You can see in the above photo that the shower is now opened up and now we get to admire the gorgeous tile work too. Nobody wants to shower in a cave. Why did they make showers like that before? Just look at it now! So much better don't you think? We also brought the tile up the walls and behind the toilet because that keeps things cleaner and fresher. We added the same glass accent tile as we have in the shower above it.
BEFORE
AFTER
We added new cabinets with quartz countertops.
The hardware is the jewelry!
We weren't able to center the sink under the mirror due to opening up the shower, storage needs as well as needing the vanity but the client had no problem with that. Priorities, priorities.
The client really wanted a vanity so she could sit and do her makeup. I was so proud of her, she spray painted her existing vanity stool and did a weekend upholstery job. I gave her a thumbs up because you know I love to repurpose if I think it works and helps us stay on budget.
BEFORE
AFTER
Singing the Hallelujah chorus!
We had space next to the tub so we decided to add the 4 drawers for extra storage space. It would have been wasted space otherwise. Can you believe how gorgeous the accent tile is? The Arabesque pattern is just amazing made out of pearl. I suggested we put it around the windows to balance the bathtub side with the tower cabinets on the other side of the room. It is stunning and was quite a challenge to install!
Can we also take a moment of silence and stare at the chandelier! It's on a dimmer for soaking moments.
Every "spa like" bathroom needs a tower of rocks.
and a colorful rug! Rugs bring everything together. I like to use rugs that aren't the typical rugs you would use in a bathroom. It just makes the room more spectacular and bumps it up to the next level.
The client had the large blue pottery made by a local artist and I found the baby pottery to go with it. Perfect for fresh flowers when you are feeling like treating yourself.
BEFORE
Oh my! Can you believe this?
AFTER
We opened up the entire bathroom by taking out the wall to wall cabinets. Instead we did tower cabinets and put pull out drawers in each one so things could be hidden away. We took out the fur downs and that opened things up a ton too. Made the entire bathroom feel taller and more spacious.
As you can see, this bathroom coordinates beautifully with the bedroom we transformed for them.
See the before and after photo's from a previous post
https://www.ruthiestaalsen.com/grapevine-master-bedroom-makeover-2/
We are busy working on some design plans and I also have some very exciting news to share with you!
Stay close! Happy Sunday!
Ruthie Staalsen - What my design philosophy is and why!
I wanted to share with you a snippet from my book that was published a few months ago. This portion of my chapter truly describes what I am all about.
"My main objective is to create environments that are gathering places for families and friends to do life together.
However, I am about more than that. I believe that the home is a special hub for the best moments in life.
It is the place where you watch your kids dance around the kitchen.
It is where you and your hubby carry your kids to their bed because they fell asleep on the couch.
It's where your daughter brings a boy home for the first time, and where your family laughs around the dinner table so hard that you choke on your food.
Home is where real life happens and sometimes real life is a little bit messy.
That is why I want the homes I decorate to be a place for peace and solitude. Our society is so busy and hurried that spending time AT HOME is almost a lost art.
My goal is to connect these wonderful moments of life to the home through interior design.
I have a different perspective on design in that it isn't totally about a specific look. It's more about finding the soul of the people living in the home, and helping the client find the surroundings that makes them feel good. Decorating is about creating a quality of life, a beauty that nourishes the soul.
Our homes should reflect what we are about, our beliefs, our experiences and family traditions. After all, homes are not just about nice things, they are about a place where you want to spend time.
I want to be known as the designer that connects these dots."
I'm working on a project at the moment where I get to do exactly what I've described above. I get up each morning, ready to make lives and homes more beautiful!