Want to create your dream room but don’t even know where to start? What if I told you there’s a tool that can help get your ideas organized and on the right path from the get-go? It’s called a mood board, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or the most experienced interior designer, every interior design project starts with a mood board. I totally get it - design projects can be overwhelming under the best of circumstances. So I’m here to show you how you can make your own simple interior design mood board to help get your project off to a strong start and not waste time or money by going in the wrong direction.

Picking paint is one of the most challenging parts of designing a room. I've done it enough to share designer advice, tips, and tricks on what to do and what costly mistakes to avoid when choosing interior paint palettes. When picking paint, whether it's a neutral palette or saturated color, these paint selection guidelines will help you find shades that not only can you live with but you love.

Forcing - refers to the process of getting your spring-flowering branches to bloom early. Essentially, by cutting them and bringing them indoors, we’re tricking them into thinking it’s spring. Whether it’s forsythia, quince, or spring-flowering fruit tree branches like cherry or plum, putting together a floral display with these spring harbingers can provide the winter mood lift we need.

When winter is dragging on long after the holidays have come and gone, (perhaps the only time some of us may be excited about cold weather) saucer magnolias suddenly appear to perk us up with their large goblet-shaped flowers that bloom on bare wood.

Magnolia x soulangeana typically blooms from mid winter to early spring, depending on variety and climate, when most other garden plants are still in deep in winter sleep. In Napa, CA where I live, it’s mid February and they are blooming all around town now.

Looking for the perfect, easy-to-care-for houseplant? Meet the air plant! Air plants are a top contender in the most-popular-houseplant contest, and with indoor plants such a huge trend, that’s saying something! It’s easy to see why - they’re beautiful and unusual while being super-easy to care for. How often do you see that combo? Read the post to have all your air plant questions answered!

Tillandsia Types & Info

Tillandsia are the largest genus in the bromeliad family. There are more than 600 known species and countless hybrids. They’re native to Central and South America and even a small part of the Southern US. Air plants are usually divided into two categories: mesic and xeric, and much of what puts them in one category or the other are the quantity and size of trichomes.