Kit Davey, Interior Designer
18 Years in business - Over 2,600 homes transformed!
Newsletter: January 2003
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1) Lemons to Lemonade
2) Quote
3) Recipe
4) Downsizing?
5) Free Art Sessions
6) Year End Suggestion
7) Bits and Pieces Day
8) Useful website
9) Classes
10) Booklet
1) Lemons to Lemonade
On Dec. 16 at about 12:30 am, the beautiful 350 year old oak tree in our back yard came crashing through our roof as we slept in our beds. You may remember the gusting wind and rainstorm that night---it woke us just before the tree fell. A huge gust snapped off the branches above the trunk and they landed on our living room roof, over our heads in the master bedroom, on the kitchen, on the roof of my studio and across our back yard. Fortunately, the wall between the living room and our master bedroom saved our lives. The beam received the brunt of the weight and forced the wall down about 6 inches. Branches pierced the roof and water started to pour in. The fire department condemned the house that night! Since then we have moved from my brother's home to the Stanford Park Hotel, and finally to a rental home. We will stay here for the next 8 to 12 months as our home is being rebuilt. There is much good that has come out of this:
- We know our family loves us and would do anything to assure our safety.
- People are kind and generous at heart---when we were in pain and confusion, kind hearts offered support. Love is out there and it took a catastrophe to let that sink in.
- We can do without our stuff. Life actually seems bigger when you don't have to deal with your stuff!
- Our rental home is fabulous! It is brand new, beautifully designed and equipped. We will be very comfortable here for as long as it takes to rebuild.
- We will have the opportunity to rebuild our home and perhaps make improvements.
- I love an adventure and every day since the tree fell I have explored new places and met new people. I guess the universe wanted to get me out of my rut!
In spite of this experience, I am still open for business! I continue to fulfill my mission:
to help you create beauty and harmony in your home.
My temporary address is 2460 Park Road, Redwood City, CA 94062. My telephone number and email address remain the same: 650-367-7370,
KitDavey@aol.com.
2) Quote of the Quarter:
"We shape our dwellings and afterwards our dwellings shape us." Winston Churchill
3) Recipe:
Low Cal Tuna Salad
Ingredients:
Can of Tuna or Albacore , packed in water
3 tablespoons plain, non-fat yogurt
1 chopped pickle
Spicy mustard, to taste
Alternative recipe: skip the pickles and add 1/2 to 1-teaspoon cumin.
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, smush them around, plaster a dollop onto your favorite bread, add some greens and chow down!
4) Thinking About Downsizing?
It's never too early to begin the process. If plan to move to a smaller home, or an assisted living situation, the process can be time-consuming and overwhelming. I have helped dozens of seniors winnow down their possessions, disperse unwanted furnishings, prepare the house for sale (staging) and figure out how to fit their furniture into the new space. I even arrange your knick-knacks and hang your art after you move in! I have a team of professionals to help with every aspect of this stressful transition: estate organizers to help get your papers in order, real estate agents who know your neighborhood, movers, painters, gardeners, computer hooker-uppers---anyone you need to help with downsizing. It takes longer than you think to transition into a smaller home, so call now to see how my team and I can be of service: 650-367-7370.
5) Free Art Sessions
If you are a budding artist, or have a craft project in progress, come to my end-of-the-month art dates. Bring your scrapbook, sewing project, card-makings, or whatever else you'd like to work on. We'll gather around my dining room table, share ideas, support each other's creative ventures and DO ART. I only have space for 5 artists, so please call to let me know you are coming: 650-367-7370. Sessions are held from 12:30 to 3:30 pm, Jan. 31, Feb. 28, and March 28. Location: 2460 Park Rd., Redwood City.
6) Do an End of Year Wrap-Up
- Here's what I do at the beginning of every new year to stay on track for the coming year:
- Review my previous year's calendar and make a list of accomplishments. No matter how small or large, every achievement goes on the list. It's surprising how long the list can be!
- Jot down "disappointments" for the past year and what I learned from them. Usually this list is short, and by the time I analyze what I gained from the experiences, they are no longer disappointments.
- Make a list of my desired outcomes for the coming year, by category:
Health/Fitness, Social/Relationship, Career/Work, Spiritual, Emotional/Personal Growth, and Financial. I keep the list in my daytimer, and a copy in my journal. I look at it once a week to make sure I'm on task.
7) Bits and Pieces Day
One of my colleagues from NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers), Anita Berg, schedules in a "bits and pieces" day once a month. She sets aside that day to do all those annoying tasks that stack up and never seem to get done, like changing the light bulb in the garage, sewing buttons on, writing thank you notes, returning things to stores, etc. Try it and let me know how it works for you!
8) Useful Website to Visit
Want ideas for how to manage your time? Visit MollyGordon.com. She offers a free, downloadable time analysis sheet and other helpful tips for leading a more organized life.
9) Home Decorating Class
In this three and a half-hour course you'll learn the step-by-step basics of how to create a beautiful and comfortable home, including:
How to define your personal style
How to create a comfortable, functional floor plan
Selecting a color scheme
How to select area rugs, artwork and accessories
Lighting techniques
How to pick wallpaper and paint color
Whether you are filling a room with new furniture, redecorating an already furnished space, or just want some ideas to enhance your home, you'll get cost-effective, easy-to-follow tips and useful handouts. Bring a snack to class---there won't be a lunch break!
Saturday March 22, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
To register and for classroom location: Call Foothill De Anza Community Education
Short Courses Office: (408) 864-9917. Cost: $45
Class: Transform Your Home in A Day—For Free!
Learn how to redecorate your house by creatively rearranging the furniture and artwork you already own. You'll discover how to define your personal style, how to create new furniture arrangements, and how to balance a room with color. Quick, easy acces- sorizing techniques for bookcases, artwork and collections will also be shared. Wednesday, March 26, 2003, 7:00 9:00 pm. Cost: $35 De Anza College, Cupertino Call (408) 864-8817 for room location and to register.
Class: Staging Your Home for Sale: How to Maximize Your Profits
Thinking of selling your home in the next few months or years? Find out how to invest your time, money and energy so your home sells quickly at the highest possible price. You'll learn what potential buyers are looking for in a new home, which improvements and updates give you the most bang for the buck, how to give your home "curb appeal" and how to stage each room of your house.
Wed., Jan. 29, 2003, 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Palo Alto Adult School,
Cost: $19
To register, call (650) 329-3752
OR
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2003, 7:00 to 9:00 pm Cost: $35
De Anza College, Cupertino: Call (408) 864-8817 to register and for room location.
10) Can't Take the Class, Get the Cliff Notes!
I have written a home sale preparation and staging booklet which I share with students who attend my staging class, and with clients who hire me to stage their homes. The pamphlet includes home improvements you can make now to increase your home's resale value later, home projects to avoid, a room by room staging checklist and how to stage a vacant home. Dozens of people have followed the steps and reaped thousands! It can be yours by sending a self-addressed, legal-sized envelope, stamped with $0.60, and your check for $5 (which already includes tax) to: A Fresh Look, 2460 Park Rd., Redwood City, CA 94062. Please remember to stamp your envelope!