Designing Goldilocks

What’s your interior-design style?

Do you know your interior-design style? Or better yet, do you have a design style?

Or maybe you don’t have a design style but want to aspire to one.

I can relate with you.

Glitz and glamour

When I planned the style for my new home, I envisioned Hollywood Regency.

The glamorous lifestyle from Southern California, circa 1920s through 1950s. Think movie stars sipping cocktails in luxurious loungewear. The style is opulent and rich.

My love for this style started several years ago when I discovered the Hayworth Collection at Pier 1 Imports, smoky mirrored furniture pieces that pack a stark punch in my living room and master bedroom.

Rich textures and bold colors round out the look with black-and-white striped rugs, throws and accent pieces.

Declutter

But as time has gone on, I’ve evolved into a mix of Hollywood Regency and Minimalist. I still love the glitz and glamour of the furniture, but I have held back on flashy wall mirrors and velvet finishes.

Besides a few crystal pieces I keep in a curio cabinet, the decor items I go for now are faux plants to add some nature to the mix. Some green to the sea of grey. I have found affordable plants at Target and have had fun setting them around the house.

Find your style

But back to my original questions. How would you find your style? Well, it’s easier than you think.

Let’s start with furniture and home-decor stores that sell the items you’re drawn to. If you said Ikea, your style may be Scandinavian. Simple and functional furniture pieces.

If you said Ethan Allen, you may be modern or contemporary. Heavy wood or metal furniture, matching rugs and throw pillows, and sensible artwork.

If you said Pottery Barn, you may be coastal. Tall lanterns on the porch and patio. A sea foam color palette. Nautical decorations.

If you shop online at Wayfair, Bohemian may be your style. Colorful area rugs, furry throw pillows and white-upholstered sofas.

Other ways to find your style include flipping through design magazines or replicating the sets you see in movies or on TV shows.

If you have friends or family members whose styles rock, you may resonate with one of their themes.

And while decor is all about the visual, it also should be about the feeling. In other words, how do you want to feel in your home? If you say relaxed, Zen could be your vibe.

This and that

But to be honest, homeowners these days are gravitating toward a mix of styles. I rarely see a staunch French Country or a true Modern in real life. These looks only exist on TV or in magazines.

This may be because most everyone I know cannot afford to execute one style from floor to ceiling. The main components of a look may be there, such as stainless steel appliances and exposed ductwork for the Industrial loft.

But the sofa, dining table and artwork may be contemporary pieces from the popular furniture warehouse down the street.

If you’re following my instagram account, @designing_goldilocks, you’ll notice that my account name is Farmhouse Glam.

I came up with that name because the exterior of my house resembles a farmhouse, which happened to be the elevation the builder pre-selected for the lot I chose. But the interior of my house has the glam furniture from Pier 1.

Farmhouse craze

While farmhouse ends at my front door, the farmhouse style is arguably the most popular design style today. Think white kitchen cabinetry, shiplapped walls and wooden signs with comforting messages like, “Blessed,” and “Home Sweet Home.”

The style is light and bright with virtually every flat surface decked out with hydrangeas in vases, stacks of books, and baskets upon baskets. Farmhouse homes are cozy and inviting with the upkeep to match.

So what design style are you?

I’ve provided you a lot to think about. Whether you know your style or not, interior design is always evolving. Like me, you start with one vision and morph into a mix of them. Or maybe you’re one style through and through. But whatever it is, the discovery phase can be as fun as the execution.

My interior design style is Hollywood Regency with minimalist finishes. Photo by Cindy Hernandez

Decor subscription box

There’s a subscription box for everything it seems. Clothes. Cosmetics. Food. There’s even a subscription box for pet stuff.

But have you seen one for home decor?

If there’s one out there, I’ve yet to come across it. So I decided to have some fun and create a box myself.

I’m always trying to think up ways to help people decorate their homes without breaking the bank. I’m always trying to brainstorm tips on how to give their house a fresh look without redoing the whole decor.

So I thought the decor subscription box would help take the guesswork out of it for them and allow me to curate items based upon their styles and interests.

I thought about my ideal customer: a woman who wants to bring some of the latest finds into her kitchen, but is too busy to shop for them herself.

Not a problem. I can do the legwork for her after gathering information about her space and lifestyle. Here’s what I learned.

Her kitchen has a neutral palette that invites pops of color. She likes practical items but also enjoys little surprises.

She entertains friends for brunch, but also likes nice pieces for her own visual pleasure.

Of course, a real consultation with a real customer would require an in-depth interview or questionnaire to fulfill the boxes over the course of the subscription.

But this is just a mock box. A concept. An idea that can grow into something larger if the appeal is there. So just humor me for a bit.

For the June box, I selected items I recently ordered from Target and Sur La Table, two of my favorite places to shop for home decor.

Because these boxes tend to have a theme, I chose the green-leaf motif that I’ve been obsessed with lately. What better way to decorate for summer than with an island vibe, right?

Here’s what I came up with:

A grey storage bin from Target serves as the box that can be used to organize pantry items.

The mango wood cheese cutting board and leaf platter from Sur La Table go hand-in-hand and can serve as decoration behind the stovetop.

When it’s time to host friends, they can be set out on the counter to serve bruschetta, cheeses and desserts.

The colorful dishtowels, also from Sur La Table, are festive enough for company but practical enough for everyday use.

The faux plant … well, the faux plant is just cute. But the plant, also from Target, is that unexpected piece that finishes off the look whether on display with the appetizers at brunch or just to add some life to the kitchen when no one’s home.

So what do you think? This box was simple, I know. But it was a start.

Would you buy a decor subscription box (or know someone who would)? If so, how much would you pay for it?

What would you do differently?

Leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

A subscription box of home decor items are ideal for the busy woman who wants style but is too busy to shop for the decor herself. The cutting board and platter (bottom) add pops of color to this neutral kitchen. Photos by Cindy Hernandez

Do essential oils help you relax?

I’m always looking for ways to relax to help reduce anxiety and get out of my head.

Everything I have done over the years has worked.

Exercise. Herbal tea. Meditation. Writing.

As long as I do them.

But my need to relax hasn’t been this fierce in years. It started in March with Covid-19.

What if I catch the coronavirus?

What if I pass it on to a loved one?

What if we die?

What if we survive the virus but live with chronic conditions?

My anxiety was through the roof.

But I managed, thanks to the structure I created for myself.

I work a full-time job. I pay my bills. I run my household. Because that’s what I’m supposed to do.

After the workday, I’d sit with my phone and view content from the design community I follow on social media. In between the shiplap and peel-and-stick wallpaper were stories about essential oils.

Essential oils.

Drops of oil you add to water in the reservoir of a diffuser, which works like a humidifier, infusing scents into the air that also help with emotions, such as anxiety.

At first, I just tapped through the stories. I have a sensitivity to scents. The last thing I needed was a splitting headache from something that was intended to help me relax.

But the more I saw stories about them and the more I worried about the virus, the more I wondered, “Could these oils help my anxiety?”

Then I remembered a bottle of oil I bought in Sedona a couple of years ago. It was right after John’s stroke. We had taken a trip for a few days to get away from everything.

In between the crystals and red rocks was a store that sold oils. I remember telling the salesgirl that I’d been having headaches and tension down my neck.

But again, I have a sensitivity to scents, except to peppermint, which actually helps me breathe. That’s when she told me about a peppermint oil. The scent was hot and cool all at the same time. Heavenly.

The .3-fluid-ounce bottle of oil cost $16.95, but I was ready for relief. I didn’t buy a diffuser. Instead I’d dab the oil behind my ears and on my wrists. When I felt anxious, I would take sniffs straight from the bottle.

Then life got busy and the bottle got shoved into a drawer. Fortunately, the bottle resurfaced after the move into the new house.

After learning more about the oils on social media, I pulled out the bottle and thought, “Huh! I purchased an essential oil before I knew essential oils were cool.”

That’s when I decided to take the plunge. But because I wasn’t sure I would like them or if they’d even work, I settled on a reasonable diffuser and a 3-oil kit by Design from Target.

Now I was curious.

What would they smell like?

How would they make me feel?

If I diffuse in the mornings, could they help set the tone for the day?

If I diffuse in the evenings, could they help me unwind?

With each passing day, I grew more eager for the diffuser and oils to arrive. But for whatever reason, the order was delayed. Not once. Not twice. But three times.

Of all the online orders I had placed since avoiding the stores because of Covid, this was the one that had to be delayed – three times, mind you. The one that contained items that were going to help me relax.

So I waited. And waited. And waited.

Sometimes I would open the front door just to see if they’d surprise me.

The diffuser and oils finally arrived five days after the initial delivery date. And it wasn’t a moment too soon.

My anxiety had been up again with all of the unrest in the country. I couldn’t peel myself away from the news and yet the images on the screen were keeping me up at night.

I had made it a habit to let delivery boxes sit a few days before opening them. But not this one. I tore into the diffuser and oils the day they arrived.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the diffuser was easy to operate. The oil set contained Lavender for calming, Balsam Fir for soothing and Relax Blend for peace.

I diffused the Relax Bend that night. My initial reaction was potpourri. Orange rind. Woodsy.

I set up the diffuser in the kitchen to enjoy as I prepped dinner and then moved it to the living room where I wrote for a few hours.

Later that night, John remarked that I seemed more at ease than I had been in a while.

Could it have been the oils?

Or was it that the scenes on TV were not as horrific as they had been?

The next night I began diffusing the peppermint oil I bought in Sedona and then left the room for about 15 minutes to talk to John upstairs. When I returned, the room smelled like Christmas.

I wrote for about an hour that night and hadn’t felt that calm in weeks.

Was it the oils?

Or was it my wanting to believe it was the oils?

It may be too early to say. But I’m liking how I feel, so much so that I’m thinking about ordering a diffuser for the bedroom. John wants one for the loft.

*Diffusing essential oils into the air could help with emotions, such as anxiety. Photo by Cindy Hernandez*

Anxiously Goldilocks

I’m sitting here, thinking about what to write.

The news is playing on the TV.

States across the country are instituting curfews – Arizona being one of them – and preparing for more destruction tonight and in the days ahead.

I’m tired.

I stayed up past midnight last night. I couldn’t peel myself away from the news. And yet, I haven’t stopped all day. I keep busying myself with mundane things.

I placed a grocery delivery for today. Paid bills. Put said groceries away. Prepped fruits and vegetables for the week. Cleaned out the refrigerator.

I made scalloped potatoes from scratch. I never make scalloped potatoes. I put a load of laundry in the washer.

I gave the kitchen sink a good scrubbing.

I wiped down the kitchen counters.

I’m writing this blog post even though I already had a post scheduled for today. I’m not sure what I want to say but I feel I should say something.

I texted my parents and asked if they needed anything before the curfew went into effect. Anything to help. Anything to keep myself busy. Anything to feel that I’m helping others. Taking care of the ones I love. Making a difference.

Even as I write this post, I have gotten up twice to serve scalloped potatoes to John. I’m finding busy work within my busy work.

This weekend marks 1 year in the new house, and this is not how I expected the occasion to go. This is not how I expected 2020 to go.

John and I followed news of the coronavirus late last year and knew it would eventually surface in America. But we didn’t know to what extent nor did we anticipate self-quarantines and stay-at-home orders.

We happily obliged. John falls into the high-risk category due to underlying health conditions. We didn’t leave the house for 2 weeks in March.

Even now we only leave the house when necessary. And when we do, we wear masks and gloves. We use hand sanitizer and wash our hands repeatedly. We wipe down surfaces. We have turned our bar room into a makeshift receiving room for deliveries.

I’m anxious by nature. And the launch of this blog couldn’t have come at a better time. It gives me an outlet to channel all of this energy.

I believe that is why I enjoy interior decorating so much. It keeps me occupied. It allows me to create order and to minimize chaos. It helps me to feel I have some control in a world where I have absolutely none.

The new house couldn’t have come at a better time either. Because there is so much to decorate and organize. So many plans to make. Even if those plans never come to fruition.

In fact, John and I reflected on the past year this morning. We talked about the things we thought we would have done. Like hosting family and friends more. Now we wonder if we’ll ever be given the chance.

But we are happy to have the house and each other. We couldn’t imagine living alone in our respective condos during the quarantine.

Nor could we imagine living alone with riots and destruction happening around us. And now this curfew.

We will happily oblige. John and I are homebodies by nature. We don’t understand the appeal of running around town for the sake of running around town.

Nor did we understand the reopening of the state in early May when cases of the coronavirus and related deaths were going up. So we made the decision to limit our time in public for the rest of the month and take a wait-and-see approach.

And now businesses are being ordered to close early because of the riots. And the virus has an increased chance of spreading because of the crowds.

But just as I said in my post, “Paralyzing Goldilocks,” March 26, 2020, staying at home by choice and staying at home to save your life are two very different realities.

My anxiety was at an all-time high over the coronavirus. And just when I was starting to accept a new normal, the riots begin.

I’m still not sure if I said anything in this post – but thank you for reading – other than to capture my thoughts at this particular moment in time.

What will the country look like when I wake up tomorrow? What will my state look like? My town? My neighborhood?

Because as we all know, the landscape is changing by the hour.

One year in the new house

This weekend marks 1 year in the new house.

Where has the time gone?

I swear, the year it took to build the house didn’t pass this quickly. OK, maybe it didn’t take a year to build the house. It took about 10 months.

But you get my point. Life has not stopped. And that’s how it goes when you own a house. You go, go, go.

Even a new house has its list of chores, from buying new furniture and decor to working with the builder to repair chipped stucco and nail pops. And the list never ends, it grows.

While this isn’t the first house I’ve owned, I’m also older, wiser and more financially stable now, and view home ownership in a whole new light.

So to mark the occasion, I thought it appropriate to share what I’ve learned as a seasoned home owner.

A house does not change who you are. It’s just four walls.

Sure, the house can be new, beautiful, a point of pride. But it doesn’t change your personality, improve your relationships or alter your outlook on life.

You’re still the same person you were the day before you moved in.

A house is an investment. And with that realization comes a greater focus on the economy and the impact on home values.

On a micro level, you never want to become complacent. When something breaks, fix it. When styles change, change with them. And never stop cleaning. All of this work will pay dividends when it comes time to sell.

And you will sell.

A “forever home” is a myth. John and I have had fun putting our mark on the house like turning the front room into a bar room.

But we were careful to pick upgrades and layout options that would appeal to a wider audience.

Because let’s face it, John and I will not be living here forever. The day will come when we hand the keys over to new happy owners.

Colors and countertops are just part of home ownership. It’s an investment that can pay dividends when you put in the work. Photo by Cindy Hernandez

How do you pick an area rug?

I’m stumped.

I need an area rug in the living room, and I don’t know which way to go.

I want something with a pattern and some color, but I don’t want the design to be so busy that it draws the eye downward.

The main purpose of this rug is to extend the life of the carpet, particularly the high-traffic areas on each side of the sofa and the sliver between the sofa and the ottoman.

The main colors in the room are grey and silver, which some would argue provide no real color at all. The walls, ottoman and throw pillows are brown. In accent pieces, I have black-and-white stripes and the green-leaf motif.

I thought about going with the popular black-and-white striped rug, but I’m afraid the room is too monochromatic already. I’m drawn to green, but given the leaf motif throughout the room, a green rug might be too predictable.

I could play it safe with brown. But if I’m going to spend the time and money on a rug, shouldn’t it add some pizzazz to the room?

Now you see my dilemma.

What are your thoughts? Check out the living room in the photo below and offer your ideas in the comments section.

This room needs an area rug that adds color without being the focal point. Photo by Cindy Hernandez

Home bar essentials

If you’ve been following my blog from the start, you know the home bar is our favorite room in the house.

John and I meet there every Friday for happy hour. It came in handy when the quarantine hit. We didn’t miss our local hangout because… well… our local hangout was under our roof.

But like any evolving room in the house, the home bar is a work in progress. It needs to be nurtured. Maintained.

The home bar is to be enjoyed, but with that enjoyment comes the chore of taking inventory. Trying new liquors while keeping old favorites on hand.

Here are steps for building a home bar that has something for everyone:

The basics – Always keep vodka and tequila on hand. A margarita is always a hit. Bloody Marys are popular at brunches. At parties, someone will always suggest a shot of tequila. The real drinker will request vodka on ice.

Beef if up – Bourbon (aka John’s favorite) is the base for a good Manhattan or Old Fashioned. You could say bourbon is an acquired taste, and you would be right. The first sip will hurt. But after the ice melts a bit, the bourbon rounds out to a sweet, smooth finish.

Mix it up – Juices, sodas, bitters and liqueurs can elevate a ‘meh’ drink to an awesome drink. This is the fun part of stocking a bar but the choices can be overwhelming. Play if safe with orange and cranberry juices, lemon-lime soda, dry and sweet vermouth, and orange bitters and liqueurs.

Beer and wine – No bar is complete without these staples. And here’s where you can run the gamut because beer and wine are relatively inexpensive. For beer, keep lagers and ambers on hand. For wine, pick a white and a red. For trendy drinkers, select an IPA beer and a Rose wine. For special occasions, keep a few bottles of sparkling wine on hand.

Garnishes – Lemons, limes and oranges are the obvious choices. If you have room in your budget and in your refrigerator, a jar of cherries, stuffed olives and cocktail onions add a special touch and flavor.

Glassware – Beer mugs and wine and rocks glasses are so affordable, there is no reason not to have them. You might ask what the big deal is, but having the right glass for your drink is as important as the measurement of tequila in that margarita.

Accessories – A corkscrew and a bottle opener go without saying. A potato peeler can be used for citrus rind. But if you’re ready to be a true mixologist, a tool set will give you a double jigger, a muddler, a strainer, a stirrer and a shaker. Just the words alone sound fun. Don’t forget to pick out a cocktail recipe book. Now you have all of the essentials for a true home bar.

A true home bar has something for everyone. Photo by Cindy Hernandez

Demise of a decor store

One of my all-time favorite home decor stores announced this week that it is going out of business. Pier 1 Imports.

I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised.

The company earlier this year announced that it would be closing some of its stores and filed for bankruptcy.

Then the pandemic hit, putting a financial strain on non-essential businesses and hindering Pier 1’s ability to find a new buyer. Now the company is looking to close all of its stores.

People just aren’t buying furniture and housewares like they were decades ago. Nor are they spending the kind of money that one would need to shop at Pier 1.

Just this week I posted about shopping at the store’s clearance section for the Hayworth pieces I have been collecting over the years – smoky mirrored furniture reminiscent of the opulent Hollywood Regency era.

But even before the bankruptcy, I had a sense the store wouldn’t be around for long. So after John and I decided to buy the new house, I shopped for as many Hayworth pieces I could afford and moved them into storage until the house was done.

Over time I became known at the Pier 1 near my condo. The salespeople would see me walk in the door and immediately show me the newest Hayworth piece to move into the clearance section, sometimes offering an additional discount in order to unload the piece.

If it hadn’t been for my gut telling me to drop into the store to see what new pieces had been marked down and if it hadn’t been for the salespeople’s personalized service, I wouldn’t have the furniture I do and at the price I could afford.

If Pier 1 gets its way, it’ll dwindle down its inventory. And if I get my way, I’ll have a few more discounted Hayworth pieces to add to my collection.

The dresser from the Hayworth Collection at Pier 1 Imports has been on my wish list for years. Photo by Cindy Hernandez

When to splurge on decor

So you’ve bought some decor on sale. You’ve shopped the clearance section. You even found some pieces at a garage sale.

But there’s a piece you just gotta have and it’s not going down in price anytime soon.

What do you do?

The rule of thumb I use is, if I’m still thinking about the piece the next day, the next week, the next month, I buy it.

Or if there’s nothing like this piece anywhere and it’s unique, a statement piece, a conversation starter, a head-turner and the presence of this piece will elevate the space, I buy it.

Take, for example, the ottoman with leaf motif from At Home Stores.

The price: $30.

Did I need it? Nope.

Did I want it? Yup.

I saw it on a shopping trip one Saturday, stayed thinking about it all week, and bought it the next Saturday. It can be used as an ottoman or as extra seating.

The fabric has a leaf motif that goes perfect with the C-table I bought at Pier 1 Imports. It adds color to the sea of grey and silver that’s running throughout the room. It’ll round out the nature look I’m going as I bring in more faux plants and succulents.

When you think of all that it does for the space, the ottoman was a steal at $30.

*The ottoman with leaf motif adds color, style and function to the room,* making it a steal at $30.
Photo by Cindy Hernandez

Shop the clearance section

A favorite piece in my house is the buffet from the Hayworth Collection at Pier 1 Imports.

I had been eyeing the piece for years, picturing dinner parties with charcuterie boards set out for guests to enjoy. A glass of wine in one hand and an appetizer plate of meats, cheeses and nuts in the other.

The problem was I lived in a 1,000-square-foot condo with absolutely no space for the buffet, let alone guests. In the new house, space was not a problem.

The hurdle now was the buffet’s $1,000 price tag. The Hayworth Collection is not inexpensive. Even on sale, the prices can be steep, which is why I always headed for the clearance section.

Even before ground broke on the house, I shopped for Hayworth pieces in the hopes of finding a bargain. My persistence paid off when I found a buffet for $200.

The piece had minor scratches I could live with and a loose foot that John and my Dad easily fixed. The buffet moved straight into storage where it waited a year for the house to be done.

Today it serves as a sofa table on the main floor between the living and dining areas. It’s the first piece I see when I come downstairs in the morning. It’s the first piece I see when I walk in the front door. It’s the first piece I see when I come in from the garage.

But what I love more than the buffet itself is the deal I got just by shopping the clearance section.