Interior Design...Making A Career From What You Love

Interior Design & Staging students at Debbe Daley Designs

Last week's interior design and home staging course was one of the best I've had the pleasure of teaching. Realizing my hobby as a little girl has not only turned into a business but also a passionate career of helping others.  I especially enjoy watching women achieve their dreams working in a field they would learn to love.

The course was packed with many field trips and hands-on training experiences jammed into a 5 day extravaganza.  From playing with fabrics and furnishings in our own classroom studio to learning all about rugs from our friends at Persian Rug Gallery.  A trip to Harmon's Paint and Wallpaper in our own lovely historic city of downtown Lowell, MA was such a treat.  With the trending return of wallpaper and with my background in the field, it was fun and exciting to share with the students the different styles and patterns available for residential as well as commercial applications.  We also staged a home in Lowell for the Sears family which goes on the market today.  What a pleasure!  It was the perfect house to stage.

Manual & Classroom Time 

Learning about rugs from Sy Mahfuz at Persian Rug Nashua, NH

Learning about rental furniture for the home staging industry was also an experience with Jessica Miller of Churchill Furniture.  Jessica is most knowledgeable about the process of renting furnishings for vacant homes.  She is always so gracious in taking the time to spend with our students walking them through the process.

Jessica Miller of Churchill Furniture with Students

Churchill Furniture Showroom

Churchill Furniture Showroom

Our grand hurrah was when the students were involved in an all day custom client installation in Andover, MA.  One of my most pleasant clients allowed us to spend the day from 8:00 in the morning to 4:30 in the afternoon.  Students experienced the process of a custom furniture installation, custom window treatment installation and physically assisting our installers through the completion of the design.

Furniture Installation

Window Treatment Installation

Students Take a Break in Client's Media Room

Thank you to all our business associates, vendors and colleagues for participating and sharing your invaluable knowledge. All in all it was one of the best design courses of the year thus far offering hands-on design and staging experience to the max!

Pumpkin Patch Party!

There are so many interesting and creative pumpkins out there this year.  Some so unique that I wanted to share some of my favorite sightings. I hope you enjoy the viewing.

cabbage urn and mums with pumpkins and gourds

candy corn pumpkin

white and gold leaf

gray and white dotted and chevron

mini pumpkin and mum  place setting

white and leafy 

pretty pink party pumpkins

shades of pink and white

pumpkin floral vase

Mother Nature's naturally colored pumpkin

initialized pumpkin

signature message pumpkins

pure and simple pumpkin in white

white and glittery pumpkin

scary black jack-o-lantern

Creative pumpkin decorating can be a fun activity for all ages young and old.  Enjoy your festive pumpkin carving no matter what age you are. Please feel free to post some of your own pumpkin decorating ideas here.  I would love to see more.

The Beauty of the Iron Bed

Why is the iron bed so intriguing?  Is it the charm, the romance, the uniqueness of the true old iron beds of days gone by?  Some advice about the iron bed.  

While out and about and on the hunt for one of these true treasures, don't disregard the bed that fits a 3/4 mattress (not a twin but not quite a full size).

The trick to making this size work is to reverse the bed rails so the flat side faces up.  This allows for the full size box-spring to lay flat on the rails and for the iron bed to have a renewed life.  The box spring and mattress will extend a bit on each side of the frame, however very unnoticeable.

Don't disregard the old rusted iron bed frame.  Sand, remove the rust select a paint color to work with your bedding and enjoy!

Table Setting Thoughts for Thanksgiving

My creative juices are flowing and I can hardly contain myself. A creative table setting during the holidays is always fun.  I like to take my time to create a beautiful table to enjoy for the holidays.

This season, I find myself gravitating towards turkey designed plates.  Does anyone remember the Greenridge Turkey Farm in Nashua, NH?  This use to be where the Barnes and Noble store is now on Daniel Webster Highway.  I never thought I'd be writing a blog about turkey designed plates.  All I remember is how I thought they were so unattractive in my childhood days.  Now, I find myself gravitating to them. The different colors and styles allow for a festive themed dining table.  The plate is the inspiration piece offering direction towards colors used to design your dinner table.  Take a look at these,

 These dishes set on a gold tablecloth would be rich in color and contrast.

This turkey plate is set on a red paisley patterned tablecloth.  The contrast of colors on the plates edge of greens and reds compliment the tablecloth and the green charger plates used as a base for the turkey plates.

These antique turkey designed plates are beautiful. Set on a white background allows for the turkey to stand out enhancing all the multi contrasting colors in the plate.

If you have some turkey plates your using for your Thanksgiving table setting.  We'd love for your to share with us.

Storage in the Playroom

Being creative with storage in a childs playroom can be fun.  Use your imagination with existing furniture pieces throughout your home.  Here are some ideas I've used for this recent child art and playroom.

The request was to make an all purpose playroom and art center for the children.  So many art supplies needed a place to live.  I was presented with a room filled with boxes and proceeded to create.

Art Supply Center After

Art Supply Center Before

I used the closet in the room to create an art supply center. Organizing paints, brushes, crayons, stencils, paper and all art supplies here.  The children's' own personal paintings and artwork were used as the window valance in the room instead of a fabric curtain.

Paintings Used as Window Valance

The use of a black tall bookcase turned sideways for easy reach by the children of their toys.  Storage baskets hold the smaller toy items.

A child's small black round drop-leaf table is used at the center of the room for art activities. A vibrant red loveseat provides a comfortable place for reading books and hanging out.

Before

 Bookcases were utilized to store and display books, puzzles, toys for easy access.

After

Children's self portrait art was displayed

Kermit found his proper place in the playroom.

Basement play area with bookcase toy storage.

 In the basement was the music center for the children.  Again the use of an existing bookcase was used to display and store loose musical instruments for the children's easy reach.

Creating a child's own personal playroom can be fun and promotes your own creativity as well.  A room like this one inspires the children to be as creative as they can be!