March 20th, 2009 by lisa
During a recession, many people are happy just to have a roof over their heads, and thoughts of moving to a new home can be put on hold. But that doesn’t mean that you should keep your home in a holding pattern; after all, a change can be as good as a new home.
If you are planning on moving when the recession recedes, that’s another reason to make a few home improvements – focus on adding value to your home before it’s time to sell. Besides, why not make your home more pleasant and up-to-date while you’re still living in it? And I’m not the only one who thinks so: Ed Del Grande, the Orange County Register’s home repair guru, recently told a reader the same thing. You can read the article online here, but read on for my top tips! (read the rest of this post…)
Tags: accent pillows, adding value to your home, bathrooms, built in desk, cabinetry, child's bedroom, closets, coffee table, custom, designer, dining room, display cabinets, entertainment room, fabrics, fixtures, flooring, frame, free consultation, furniture, good interior designer, hallways, home improvements, improvements, interior designer, kitchen, landscaping, light fixtures, living areas, loft area, low budget, mantlepiece, mat, mouldings, mount, new bathroom, new kitchen, office space, open plan living, ottoman, recycling, reupholster, shelving system, shopping, small budget, small space, specialized design, style, update your home, upgrade
Posted in Insider Tips | 5 Comments »
March 20th, 2009 by lisa

Designer's apartment in Chicago
One of my favorite web sites is Apartment Therapy. It showcases some great interiors that don’t always make it to the big glossy magazines, but are definitely worthy.
This week I found my “Inspiration” on their site – a small apartment decorated with bold style yet soft colors. The size of the space definitely spoke to me, as living and working in Laguna Beach has made me all too adept at designing for small spaces. I loved how they used wainscoting to create panels on the walls that inject color and bold patterns onto the white walls, but cleverly knew when to stop. It would have been easy to overwhelm the space with even one full wall of pattern.
The designer, also the resident of the featured apartment, used light, fresh colors that keep a small space bright and open. She also used fabrics that I am both familiar with and love, especially on the fabric-covered coffee table.
I felt that this apartment’s décor was well thought out and shows the designer’s personality and originality, plus a love of fabrics that clearly mirrors my own!
Here is a photo, as promised!
—Lisa
Tags: apartment, bold, coffee table, color, decor, decorate, decorated, designing for small spaces, fabric-covered coffee table, fabrics, inject color, inspiration, interiors, originality, pattern, small space, soft, space, wallpaper
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March 20th, 2009 by lisa
Hello, internet readership! Although Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design has been beautifying Orange County’s homes and businesses for the last ten years, this is our first blog, and we’re rather excited.
We are looking forward to using this web forum to keep visitors up-to-date on the company’s projects, events, achievements, inspirations and accolades, so please check back often for our latest and greatest news.
Soon you’ll see a post about how to refresh your home’s décor during a recession, our Fall event and our first weekly “Inspiration” post.
Have a great weekend!
Lisa and the LRM team: Jan, Hillary, Kari, April, Stacy, Kristen and Ira
Tags: decor, Events, homes, inspiration, Inspirations, interior design, Orange County, Orange County homes
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »