Latinos Love Color- Use Spring As Your Palette

Hola todos! Spring is in the air and I am SO excited for it's return. Living in AZ, I don't get to miss it much. Our mild winters (usually around 50-80 degrees) feel like two seasons of spring, but I still enjoy all of the suspenseful build up to each season in the rest of the world.

Us Latinos, we really LOVE our colors-the BRIGHTER, the BETTER! After all, we are the true 'Rainbow People' of Earth, coming in every luscious shade from creamy white to deep, dark espresso. Color is our form of expression. It makes a statement in our wardrobes when we rock a fierce red stiletto and our homes when we carry our love to the bold red wall in the living room. And we're DARING. We don't just do it in small doses, we go all the way with our outspoken style and that's why I love our culture! We don't hold back. We don't just go for a few accent pillows in lime green... we'll paint every wall that color if we're feelin it! (Por favor, no!) Pero entiendes? We go hard with color. That's why I love spring.

Spring is your excuse to go nuts with color. Check out this room design I created on www.Olioboard.com. Olioboard is a fantastic online design tool I use in my design business to create inspiration boards to present to my clients.  I was inspired by the bright, fun turquoise accessories I found at www.zincdoor.com. I would swear the buyers are Latino with all of the amazing yellows, pinks, blues and greens in everything from decor to lighting to fun accent furnishings. You can really create el Ultima Casa de Latino o Latina! Use the example is this design and just paint one of your smallest accent walls with the boldest color you can find, like this "Mirame" yellow!

Here I took the accent color (yellow) and ran with it by using it for my coffee table, a throw pillow and carrying it onto two simple, small wall areas. If you truly love the color and know that you won't get sick of it after a while, a coffee table or another piece of accent furniture in that color is a great way to redesign your room. If you want this look but are a bit scared, use a paintable piece of furniture. Si tu no te gusta ya, repaint it in any shade you like! 

When buying accent furniture that will be the leading color in your room, make sure that you love the color also and make sure it's a color that, when you get sick of the room, you can easily update it by adding another accent color to create an entirely new look. With this turquoise above, we can repaint the yellow wall in a cream and throw in cream accents for a calm beachy theme or go all white for a stark contemporary look. We can add browns for a cozy space or reds like I did for a client below and make the room a little caliente! It's all a game you can play in your space to create the room you love...

So, get your spring on. Have fun with patterns, play with bright colors and textures. Go all out and show your inner box of crayola crayons dying to burst out of you! It will brighten your mood every time you walk into your space and happiness is what it's all about!

What Comes First- The Paint or The Furniture?

Hola todos! Ok, so first off- FELIZ CUMPLEANOS Y PROSPERO NUEVO ANO! I can't believe the year is over, but boy am I happy that it is, as it was not the best years for me. I lost a lot of mi familia este ano- un tio, my tia y un primo. To top it off, I was extremely ill for a good portion of the year. No bueno! I positively look forward to a much better 2012!

Today I want to discuss a recent and very frequently asked question for those redoing a room in their home. When I'm going to paint, do I pick my paint colors first or do I pick my furniture and it's fabric first? The answer is very logical to me, but boggles the minds of most homeowners.

It happens so often, you find a paint color that you love in an article in your favorite magazine and you quickly rush out and buy it, a smock and all the tools you need. You put your hair up in two little monyos (buns) and go to town painting the walls of your room and other things you probably shouldn't have gotten paint on, lol. The paint inspires you! You want all new furniture now. The walls look so good, you can't possibly keep your old stuff anymore. Que basura! Now, la problema... You can't find a thing to match that sexy paint color you threw on your walls! Y por que? Furniture come in far less colors than paints do. You may think- well, I can just go crazy with my wall color and then I can easily find a tan sofa, neutral goes with everything! NO! Certain neutrals can go with many colors but even neutrals have their own coordinating colors. Let me explain...

Let's say you paint your wall purple, like this one... This purple has a red undertone, so it works best with a tan that is warm, as the undertone of this violet is also warm. if you used a gray (which I wouldn't put a gray sofa in front of such a powerful color, you would need to use a warm gray as well, which would also have a tan or brown undertone. Not just any tan or any gray would go with this purple... and I'd never put a black sofa in front of this color, AY! "Black is not the new black!" Actually, orange is... but that's a whole other story!

Pero si tu tiene este color pupura...Now that's an entirely different story. Notice the tones of neutral they've paired with this violet- a mirrored (gray) nightstand and light gray ottomans at the foot of the bed. They are in a cool gray, because the purple on the wall is a cool gray. If you also notice here, the color on the wall is taken from the print in the pillows and the blanket. It was easy to find a purple to match the print. You can bring a pillow to the paint store and try to match to a swatch yourself, or ask the man or woman behind the counter to custom color match the color in the print for you. Intiendes? Es mucho mas facil! There are way too many shades of purple paint, so it's easy to find the perfect paint to match your linens, but imagine doing it the other way around. It's impossible! If you've already painted the wall and then try to find a set of linen or a furniture with the exact color fabric as this paint, you are searching for a very tiny needle in a very large haystack! The colors in furniture or linens are very limited. There may be four or five bed sets in purple, but none that are anything like the one you are looking for. It's just too difficult, and not worth making the mistake.

So, when you decide to paint your room, first think about exactly what you will be doing with the space. If you will be changing the furniture or if it's a bedroom, find the perfect set of sheets for your room and then select a color within the print (or just the solid color) and have the paint store make the paint for you. It will save you time, money and stress!

Besos!

How Quickly We Grow- Hispanic Population On The Rise! Doing Latin Business

My people are some of the most beautiful people in the world (as are all other Latinos). We are strong, we have curves, we have pride and we are very rapidly becoming the majority population of the entire world, much less the United States. And while many continue to slam us, mock groups of us and ignore us, to do so is not a wise decision for any business owner- ANYMORE!

Census results which review the last decade show that the Hispanic population has grown 56% from the year 2000 to the year 2010. We are becoming business owners and career-minded two earner households with great buying power. We are becoming wealthier and even in the lower income homes are some serious shoppers! Wouldn't it be smart to cater to such a large group of potential buyers? Despite any negative feelings toward us, we are too large to ignore and if you don't market to get our money, someone else will!

I progressively search for Hispanic clientele, in addition to all other clients I cater to. I have yet to work on the home of a Latino, and it makes me discouraged at times, as I know that there are thousands of affluent Hispanics out there. It makes me wonder who they go to to design their homes? Do they research Latin owned businesses in their area? I'M HERE WAITING TO SERVICE MY COMMUNITY! Find me please!

If you would like to find Latin business owners in your community, search the following websites to find them. You will be surprised, and hopefully impressed by the results.

www.lbdusa.com

www.latinamarketplace.com

www.hispanicsurf.com

Change Your Room For The Season

Just a few minor tweaks can give you a winter wonderland feel, JUST DON"T OVER-DO IT!

A standard living room with basic decor (except for that great chandelier((had to do it!)), can transform with subtle changes! BEFORE PIC

Hace frio! At least it is everywhere else. I live in AZ, and I guess we would say it was freezing here too, but we'd be over-reacting, it's in the upper 70's. We cry like babies when we have to wear three quarter length sleeves! But your poor living room is sad too, sad that it has to wear the same decor season in and season out without a little change to spruce things up when the holidays come. 

So.... some us of tend to go un poco loco with the Christmas decor. You're in the store and you see the cutest little turkey pillow and think "hmm, that would look great on my couch." Then, across the same aisle you see little pilgrim statues and "ay que lindo, the indians right next to them make you think of the village people." Usted tiene que tener! Before you know it, you've filled your cart with sparkly cornucopia, pumpkin spice scented candles, all of the pilgrims, village people and gingerbread men that you can find (cuz you're already thinking about Christmas!). Ay, yay, yay, your poor living room looks more like a holiday flea market, than a well put together room. While the urge to alter your decor for the changing seasons is right, the approach of more is better is all wrong and us Latinos can't help but want it all- we shop in complete sets honey!

One of the greatest things about the seasons changing is that you can create a new identity in your room for very little money. Here are the do's and don'ts for a sophisticated yet understated transformation.

1. Focus only on the rooms that your guests will see, and even then DON'T GO CRAZY! Start with your powder room and just add a new scent, a tasteful hand towel in the holiday theme- PERO, ES MUY IMPORTANTE that it stays in the same color scheme as the room currently is. Where we start to get tacky is when we throw red, green and gold in a room that is teal or lavender or rusty orange. Don't go there! Stick with a hand towel and possibly a small statue in a neutral tone of cream or silver or gold, not multiple colors of joy.
2. A tablescape is another great way to show your holiday spirit. A tablescape is a grouping of like items on a table, console or cabinet. Si, yo se usted tiene todo el pueblo de Navidad- but that doesn't mean all fifty little houses need to go on your dining room table. If you truly have the space to display them, then do so, but not in an area that gets used constantly like a coffee table or an area where your pets or children/ grandchildren can attack the little skaters on the ice. A good example of a grouping would be a decorative bowl of pretty Christmas tree ornaments, 3 metal mini trees, or 5 small angel statues. Make sure you group in quantities of three or five, never just two items. Also, unless going for a very modern look, do not line these items up like you would do to your village people, no bueno!
3. Change out your pillows- AGAIN NO TE VUELVAS LOCO! That red plaid pillow with the grandma and the snowman is NOT HOT! Here is a real chance to change the overall feel of your room with simple changes. Focus on the color of your room's main pieces- the wall color, your sofa and the accent furniture. Remove your current pillows and accent your room with a new fur throw in snowy white and maybe a few throw pillows in cream or white with white shimmery or silver snowflakes. If your room has blues or teals, incorporate the white and blue combination or even purples for your bold Christmas decor. If your room has more of a neutral palette- tans, browns, camel colors- use white, cream decor, red decor or golds. If your room has a cooler neutral palette- the trendy grays or blacks, go for whites, blacks, shimmery silvers, reds, teals or purples. To sum up, a bright white snowy look will work with any palette. If lost- go for white!
4. Have fun, not too much fun! Be practical- this is a space you will use constantly. If you see the room above, replacing just a few small items makes the room ready for snow- even in a warm climate like AZ or FL, where you just won't get any... There are also many pieces of trendy current decor that can be interpreted to have a holiday theme (like the crown pillow). You can always work that into your room later on in spring.

Free Fixes For Your Home...y otras mentiras!

Hola mi amigos. I have been gone for a while. After nearly thirteen years of unwed bliss, me and my non-husband Jay became marido y esposa! It was a beautiful day and I am swimming in happiness, but I've been a little neglectful of my blog, with all of the planning I was doing for my wedding... and for that, I am truly sorry.

For the last few weeks I have been searching many home improvement websites, only to find that many of them tend to pull your leg with the information they deliver. Mentirosos! The largest offender I found this week was Better Homes & Garden's site www.bhg.com, which claims to give you tips for no cost decorating- 26 examples of it too! And, while I am a firm believer in lost cost, but don't call a chancleta un zapato!

One of their ideas is to add height to your room by raising your curtain rod close to the ceiling. this is one of my favorite designer tricks and really does work to expand your room, but what it isn't... is free. Sure, to remove the curtain rod and then reinstall it a little higher is nothing but labor, provided that you have spackle near by to patch up the former holes in the wall. Then you have to put the curtain on the rod. Oh, what's that you say? Now it's too high off the floor? Of course it is! Now you have to buy a new curtain. And longer curtains, though they will look better in the room, will cost more money because they use more fabric. I have already known someone who tried this themselves but didn't think about the consequence...shopping!

So, if you are crafty or a good sewer and have a few yards of leftover fabric that just so happens to coordinate with the rest of the furnishings in your room, you can always add the new fabric to the bottom hem of your old curtains for a color block effect. This doesn't always work well. Your room has to be more contemporary in style for it to look like you meant to do it; definitely don't try this in a more traditional styled room. I have done this before, on purpose and it looked fantastic. But it just might be easier to explain the whole truth to the reader, cree que si?

Last week I truly did do a "free" remodel. My 6 year old son, whose room was going to be designed in a motorcycle theme came to my husband and I and requested that it now be army style. I asked him what we would do with all of the motorcycles and he said, "mommy, there are military motorcycles". Well, excuse me... We had one gallon of a deep gray paint for three walls of his room and hadn't yet bought the red that was going to be for the last wall. This gave me an opportunity to do one of my most favorite things...recycle. I always save the old paint from past rooms and am pretty good at mixing colors. I used the minty color that Walmart messed up in my hallway, added some purple gray from my last home's living room (seen in a past wallpaper blog post), added a dash of bright white that I use for all of my trim and a quarter if a can of lime green from my daughter's room. I mixed it all together and created an army green that looks great against the other three walls. Jay (my husband) likes it because I got rid of some paint from the garage. Jaidyn (my son) likes it because he got his dream fulfilled. I (me) like it because I was too tired to go to the store! And, it was really free.

Now, I'm not saying that anyone can do this. You have to experiment with proportions and combinations of colors, but it can be done and it's better for the environment whenever you can use existing products versus buying new, especially when the item contains chemicals!

As soon as mi hijo cleans his room, I will post a picture to show you the new color scheme. I hope to get back into the war zone to finish decorating my drawing figures on his wall to tie in the theme. I will post those as well. It's always a work in progress, but so rewarding!

My next post will be answering questions from homeowners across the country. If you have a question for me, please email it to fashionhouseinteriors@gmail.com. I will do my best to answer it this Friday. Bye for now. Besos!

Erase The "Ghetto Mentality" to Beat The Minority Stigma With Your Business

Hola Todos. I love my blog because it allows me to speak frankly, directly to my people. Today I wanna talk to you about something near and dear to my heart- Minority Owned Business. You know, I just recently found out that there is a Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce in AZ. I'm excited to know this because it means that there are enough viable Hispanic owned businesses within my community to warrant a club! I love to work with and know of other minority owned businesses, not just Hispanic owned, but Black as well. Throughout the years I have seen many Blacks and not so many Hispanics start businesses. Nearly all are no longer standing. Con la gracia de Dios, mine is still here! But one thing that always plagues me about our businesses is how little thought, time and money we invest in making them strong companies that are respected by the community. Many average people just don't take us owning a business seriously and we perpetuate the stigma by making these "ghetto fabulous" little stores, salons, barber shops and restaurants that no one, other than people of the hood would truly want to visit. Our appearance is everything! It is the key to having a successful company. If you want to walk the walk, you must talk it first!

Just recently a friend of a friend- my friend to the second power, asked me to help her with her salon. She is seeking to attract a slightly more upscale clientele and want them to feel welcome and take her business seriously. The locale of her place is in the midst of moderate income, but she does have the occasional higher end client in to get a cut or style. Her place had become the typical shop where people come and wanna hang all day watching TV and chillin. Having people occupying that space for hours on end does not make her money and she knows that. The problem came when she asked for my help to upgrade her space. Now I don't say this to diss or call her out in any way, because I like her- she's a hard working, strong black woman making her way with two businesses. I want to see her do well and would love to help her get there; but after spending nearly two hours with her going over her visions and perception of her future space, she looked at me and told me she could devote around $500 a month to fixing up her place. My heart sunk when she said this. I first wanted to say "seriously?", but I can't blame her. If you have never done any real renovation work, you might have no idea whatsoever how much it can cost. The mistake usually comes from a situation very similar to hers. What mainly needs to be done is cosmetic, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't cost, it just doesn't cost AS MUCH as it would if you did a full blown remodel. Many of our people buy full living room sets for $599, so when you explain that an average waiting room chair can cost $300 or more, they can't compute. Spending $300 on one waiting room chair might sound crazy, but it is on the lower end of the spectrum. The average is between $400- $700.

The appearance of high quality in your place of business greets customers with the comfort of a "stable company worthy of their patronage". Just think, for a second. You're looking for a home in a great neighborhood and are hiring a real estate agent. Two agents come to your home. One pulls up in a beat up 89' Corolla, dressed in jeans and a wrinkled t-shirt. The second drives up in a 2010 Nissan Maxima with nice rims and steps out of the car wearing nice work attire. She's not stepping out of a Mercedes with a power suit that says "I cost a million dollars to hire, but she's also not stepping out of a piece of crap that says "I'm not very successful at what I do because if I was I'd have a way better car!" Who would you trust to find your dream home? Our business' earning potential is directly affected by the face that we put on to the public.

I take a long time and use these examples because BRANDING is such an important part of making people "believe" our business. So many minorities try the do-it-yourself approach to opening up their store. They underestimate the start-up costs. They say- "I can pick some colors, throw up some hanging racks and open up a clothing store and they will come if I have fly gear" or "if I throw up a few flat screens I will look more upscale". They never think that certain colors will attract more buyers within their target market. Perhaps cramming ten cheap looking plastic tables and used chairs into their restaurant might not be the best floor plan for the ease of your customers and traffic flow. Yes, being proud of Puerto Rico is great, but throwing up murals of palm trees and tacky flowers and the flag might not be the best decorating choices to attract a more universal customer. Sometimes we think so much about ourselves that we don't understand who our customer is or SHOULD be.

Why can't we have beautiful, successful businesses? Why can't we invest the money it truly takes to show our best face to others? Last year I had a NFL football player and his wife come to me wanting me to design and build a fabulous space with a "rock star" feel. They wanted it head to toe extravagant because they would have mostly "baller" clientele and wanted a high end look to go with what they would charge their clients. The place was a former salon that already had it's own distinctive look. When it came down to investment- they wouldn't spend any more than the cheesy $20,000 they got for build out money from their property owner. Just a new floor alone in that amount of space was going to run $13,000. In the end they settled for a low end remodeling company who did nothing to make the place look any different than what it did originally. Such a shame that money wouldn't even spend money to make money!

My bottom lines are many. Let's stop giving others a reason to talk about us as lower class business owners. There is nothing wrong with trying to go it alone when planning your business hub to a certain extent, but a truly successful commercial space involves many "tricks" that are known only to true Interior Designers that deal with this type of design. This doesn't necessarily mean that you will have to drop $30,000 to remodel your business interior, but perhaps hiring a designer to work with you on even a few design improvements is a worthy investment. Allow him/her to design a plan for you that will work with a budget that is one you can eventually save up for, if you don't have the money now. Don't think that just changing one or two things like paint color and accessories might give your business an entire style overhaul. Commercial spaces are not as easy to upgrade as a room in a home. There are codes to consider, lighting issues, space constraints, traffic patterns, ergonomics, different moods of client, themes for branding your company. Designing a space is a well balanced combination of science and art. Non-minority business owners care enough about their companies to invest in opening well done restaurants, offices, spas and stores. We can do it too! Let's stop giving them reasons to call us ghetto! Let's put our businesses on the path to recognition and success...

picture from : djhuppatz@blogspot.com

The Mothers of Recycling... Hispanics

Hola todos,

How are we all on this beautiful day? Of course, with Earth Day so fast approaching, everyone is talking about doing for the environment. Being socially responsible, being green... don't they know Hispanics are like the mothers of all recycling? Sheesh, we've been repurposing for hundreds of years; mami's couch, abuela's coffee table, tia's knick knack collection of good luck elephants, prima's capia collection. Even our teenage daughter's collection of roses from her boyfriend, all dried up- but they won't dare throw it out! lol. We do it out of love, we do it out of necessity, but we need to realize that we are also doing it for the environment. Whether we realize it or not, hand me down furniture keeps it out of landfills, off street corners and junk piles. It might have been born out of necessity, but we are still helping to save the planet, in our own backwards way.

Now, just because you have that old piece of furniture doesn't mean it has to stick out like a soar thumb from the rest of your home's interior. Your old pieces can become just as stylish as that newer leather sofa you just bought. (Just please tell me you didn't buy it in red! Red is sooo outdated!!!) If it's an old beat up sofa with faded cushions- go to Target and spend under $100 to get a nice slipcover. They are not all vieja looking anymore. They come fitted and some have great little straight edge skirts. Contrast it with different pillows for a newer looking piece for under $200.00! If it's an older coffee table, there are two ways you can go with that. The first is to darken the stain. I know, we are not all talented in the D-I-Y area, but while sitting in front of the TV watching novelas you can spread out an old sheet, put the table on top of it, sand the top and legs with a fine grit (220 grit) sandpaper to scuff the top layer of sheen off and use a rag dipped in an expresso stain to bring the table back to life. Just make sure you use a small can of stain and sealer in one (for less work!) The second suggestion- when all else fails, go silver. Metal colors are always a timeless alternative for decor and they go with everything!

If you are tired of the dried flowers, create a small compost pile under your sink for your avocado plant. (You know, the one you made out of the pit, sitting on the kitchen counter!) I bought a small composting pail from Marshalls for $14.99. I put all veggie scraps, egg shells and occasionally shred some paper and stick it in this pail. It slowly composts the material to use as fertilizer in my lawn and for my house plants.

I know I have kinda rushed through these ideas, but I get so excited at the thought of recycling! It's not a new thing and Hispanics ARE socially conscious, we just might not have known that our passing down things from one family member to another was actually the act of recycling. We all need to be praised for our actions, every now and then! El trabajo bueno, mis personas!

Want to learn more ways to help? Are you finding no family members to pass things onto or are you just tired of your old furnishings and household products? Consider donating them to St. Vincent de Paul, The Salvation Army, The Goodwill, Big Brother/ Big Sister or my personal favorite- Habitat For Humanity. My company donates my client's old furnishings and appliances whenever it can, so they go into homes of those who really need the help. One persons trash is another man's treasure, and it's just another form of recycling...

To contact these organizations and do your part-

Habitat For Humanity http://www.habitat.org/

The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf

St. Vincent de Paul http://www.svdpusa.org/

The Goodwill http://www.goodwill.org/

Big Brother/ Big Sister http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.diJKKYPLJvH/b.1539751/k.BDB6/Home.htm

Let's make a difference in the lives of others, while making the planet better for ourselves and our families!

Minority Development, Positive Latina

Si, si, si...yo se! I've been gone again. I'm trying not to do that, believe me. Pero, I've got a lot going on. Design now has become 90% research and marketing and 10% actual design. No bueno, but I am trying to turn that around. I've missed you guys, and my outlet...

On the thought of research and marketing, I've been living and breathing networking. I have a few women in Arizona that I love- strong, black women who are always moving positively forward. They have formed a group called Sister CEO Networking Group. It's a wonderful group of minority women (yes, I know it says sister...but I'm Puerto Rican and if you know your history- we do have African American running all through our heritage!) who get together once a month to teach and inspire each other to grow their businesses through positive stimulation and information. Our inaugural event had a wonderful woman who had my ear from the second I walked in the room. A beautiful Latina named Lorena Valencia, who owns a multi-million dollar company called Reliance Wire. I LOVE POWERFUL, SUCCESSFUL AND POSITIVE WOMEN, but even more... I love it when they are Hispanic. It proves that we can do it, and do it well. There have been many times where I have wanted to fold and it has always been the inspiration of a successful minority woman that has brought me back to my grind. Lorena caught me at a time when I was ready to push forward and gave me the stick of dynamite to shoot to the stars!

Lorena is the Chairperson for the Grand Canyon chapter of the Minority Supplier Development Council. It is a nationwide foreground for minority entrepreneurs to network and do business with large companies, as well as each other. It has the ability to get you in front of major worldwide corporations to promote your small, minority owned business. Whether you sell a product or service, you more than likely have a business that can benefit a little company like Staples or Walmart or one of the other 3,500 sponsoring businesses. And if you don't think you do, think again. These companies are full of hundreds of thousands of individuals. Maybe the corporation as a whole can't use your product or service, but several hundred of their employees can? The MSDC is the most accepted minority business association in the U.S. I tell you about it today, not only because it has impressed me, but because it can offer you and your business or potential future business the opportunity to grow, flourish and thrive in a market where we feel like the underdog.

The Latino community is trying to make a name itself and we have no choice but to continue to strive to be on top. We are rapidly becoming the majority of the world's culture. There are still many stigmas associated with our beautiful people and we MUST break through them to show the world that we CAN be successful entrepreneurs, inventive, creative, responsible, intelligent. There is so much more to us than what the masses read in the paper and see on the news. While so many are caught up in the immigration debate of our beloved Mexican amigos, we are designing superb clothing for our First Lady, we are building award winning architecture in Dubai, we are designing multi-million dollar mansions for athletes and wealthy business owners. With enough of us doing well, they will have no choice but to begin to see our value to society.

I encourage all of you to find a minority networking group. Yes, a plain ole networking group can work to boost your business, but there is nothing like meeting with like minded individuals who look and act and think just like you do. We are a people who protect and take care of our own and that should be encouraged every chance we get. Meet once a month- NO MATTER WHAT ELSE YOU HAVE GOING ON, it's not more important than trying to get ahead for just one day out of thirty. Let's build bigger, stronger companies that provide strong, stable income for our families. Help other Latinos and other minorities by looking to them for their services and products. It helps to reaffirm our worth. Look into the Minority Supplier Development Council. You can find them at www.nmsdcs.org/, to locate your local branch. The cost to join is minor, compared to the benefit. All of the information is on the website. I will begin my process to join this week, and will update you on all of the opportunities that I have found through the various events and connections I make with this group.

I am excited about the future. YO SOY LATINA Y YO SOY UN INTERIORISTA!

Step Ya Game Up- Small Changes That Make A Big Impact

White Moldings

There are so many things we can do to our homes to increase the value and update the look. My favorite of all of them is one of the cheapest things you can do in your home- yes mama, CHEAP! You can truthfully give your walls the look of being freshly painted, simply by painting your baseboards white. It's no wonder why this is the oldest trick in the book when staging a house for sale. Mucho dinero? No! I buy my trim paint from Wal-mart. One quart of their brand of ColorPlace semi-gloss interior white costs $6.97. I always use high quality Sherwin Williams paint for my client's homes, but for trim- a standard quality, well priced paint can do the job. Here's my trick. I paint all of my walls in satin finish paint. It's not as glossy as semi-gloss paint, yet not as dull as flat. It's a nice, wipeable paint, meaing that it's easy to clean. NOW FOR THE TRICK- make your baseboards pop by painting them a semi-gloss or even high gloss white. This takes away the uniform look and makes your baseboards stand out as crisp and clean. Mami will think you've been limpiar la casa! Doing this also highlights your wall color- and you can use it up against any color of paint. Yes, creams and off white trims were the scene for a while, but bright white is back with a vengeance. It's hip, it's fresh and it's a quick and easy way to step ya game up for little dollars!

In the pictures above, notice the difference between the cream colored baseboard and then painting it a crisp, sexy white. The first picture on the top is the baseboard in white, the second pic is the previous color of cream and the bottom pic shows the baseboard in half and half. I still need to do a second coat of white when this dries, so it will be even more dramatic! Try it yourself.

Mi Familia

Hola Amigos,

I am working on my next post, about RED- the best color for the Boom Boom Room like Pitbull likes to call it, but on this Sunday- I can't help but to feel blessed and share a quick story about la gracia del Dios!

When I was younger events were set in motion that caused a huge tear in the fabric of my family. I was like all of you- humungous family of titis (tias)- sorry, in my Puerto Rican family we call them titi, tios, primos, primas. Every Wednesday we would head to mi titi's little apartment in the Bronx and pile in like carne in a pastellio (empanada)- OK, earlier explanation still applies. All one thousand of us would spend all night there. The kids would all squeeze into one room the size of my current closet and play atari all day while the adults talked bochinche (gossip)(chisme) en la cocina. It was my life and my family was all I knew. Then, in the blink of an eye, I lost all of them. The circumstances and what was right and wrong at that time have no matter in my heart. All that matters to me, is the loss that I felt with the absence of all of the cousins that I grew up with. I lost a little part of me and my Puerto Ricanism (in my mind). After all, mi abuela was more into local food than cultural. I would've said American food, but PR is part of America too! She spoke perfect english and it was her language of choice, so we did not have to speak spanish ever, unless around the extended family. Furthermore, I was the only child in my house that spoke or even understood spanish in the first place! When you don't use it, you sure do lose it- a lot of it, but not all. It is like riding a bike. But it was more than the speaking of spanish that made me feel less hispanic for a while. It was the closeness I shared with others, the comradery

with my own that I missed.

A few years later we moved to Massachusetts, much to my rebellion. I went from the city to the suburbs, which felt like the boonies- FOR REAL! Yes, there were Puerto Ricans, but not too many where I lived, and they were no fun! My family was everything a great hispanic family should be- loud, alive, fun, loving, bold. I missed that! I had no idea how my cousins were growing up? What high school was Michele attending? What college was Lenny going to? How did little Monica look with longer hair? I missed all of that- and while stubborn adults thought this was the right thing to do, it took a lot away from the kids it affected- like me!

Every few months I would search on the internet for my lost familia. You know how easy they claim it to be to find your lost loved ones- THEY LIE- it's not! You can find anybody- for a price, but the long list of people with the same name and the possibility that the one I pay for might be the right one was just too much maybe for me.

Well, I found them finally, two weeks ago. Facebook brought us all back together after nearly 20 years and I cannot explain the joy in my heart. Now I live in Arizona, three thousand miles away. I had never been unhappy to live here until I found my family. Mi titi whose apartment we crammed into every Wednesday is now 82 years old and still cooking arroz con gondules every week (on Thursdays now). My cousin Michele is getting married in less than 2 weeks and the others are all doing well in NY and NJ, some with families of their own, like me. I hope that financial success, which I hope will pick up again soon for my company, will allow me to visit frequently to try and establish a new bond with them again. Mi familia is back! I look forward to getting to know them again...

A Room Designed By Your Heritage

Hola Todo,

I have been on a mini staycation from my blog. Perdoneme! I am back now with an inspired thought for designing a great room centered around something so apparant in our lives- our culture. Our nationality is just as much a part of who we are as the style that we have chosen to decorate our homes. Why not make that a part of your design style by integrating your country of origin into a room of your home? Scratching your head saying QUE? It's not as complicated as it sounds...

Todos tenemos imagenes! (We all have pictures)- even posters of national monuments from Cuba or Brazil or Puerto Rico. Maybe, while visiting or even on vacation in another country, you bought a piece of art from a street vendor. Sure, non-latinos can do this too! If you visit one of our beautiful countries you have to take pictures! Well, do not just take that poster and tape it to your walls! Don't just get a frame the size of that picture and hang it up! Make a series of pictures the focal point of your room. Let me show you how in the next post below.

Heritage Room- continued

Here are two beautiful pictures of the Dominican Republic. Your photos or posters do not have to be simply landmarks, but anything that reminds you of home or where your family is from.

These pictures have great colors to pull from when painting your room. Since this room is dedicated to your Latin heritage, let it dictate your palette. And that doesn't have to mean a vibrant rainbow of colors, either. If I had to use these pictures, there are two palettes that I would suggest. The first would be a sunny, golden beige, as it would compliment both settings. The other would be a calmer, more subdued gray taupe- a greige. You find this tone in the two photos, as well. If the room was a yellow beige, I would use the tan gray or greige as the mat color for framing the pictures.

Now, to make these pictures the focal point of your wall, scale is very important. Scale means that you are not going to take two little 8x10 pictures and try to stick them in the center of a humongous wall and call it decorated! (You know you've got a wall like that!) Your art work should sit in the center of your wall and be at least 1/3 the size of that wall. That means, if you were to use these two pictures on a 12' wall, you would want these pictures to take up at least 4' of that space. How do you do that if they are not large enough? Kinkos or Staples or Office Max has the ability to blow up your photo to a larger or even poster size. If you have beautiful pictures such as these, don't buy art, create it from what you have. Once you have blown up your pictures, purchase a mat in your coordinating color. Save money whenever you can by going to Michaels and having your picture blown up to fit a large standard size mat and frame (then use that 40% off coupon they have in the newspaper every week or two!) Trick number #2. Let's say you are taking the good advice of your designer- ME, and getting the large stock frame and mat to save money, but they don't have the greige colored mat and you are ready to cruse at me... walk right over to the acrylic paint aisle and purchase the correct color for your mat and a foam brush (not a brush with hairs that will leave brushstrokes). Lay out some old newspaper and paint your mat the color of your choice. I do this quite often and it will save you hundreds of dollars instead of ordering a custom mat! Space these two framed pictures on the center of your wall, 1 foot apart from each other.

With such a beautiful backdrop, place a neutral beige sofa below these two pictures and accent the sofa with yellow and gray pillows. If you have gone for the gray tan walls, use a sunny beige mat and a creamy yellow or beige sofa with a yellow undertone and reverse the pillow colors. I have another example of this Latin style below.

Discount Interior Design Para Usted

Hola Todo,

I am proud to share my latest re-invention with you all. In this crappy economy, we want to redecorate and redesign our homes, but really cannot afford to do it or maybe we have a little cash, but no inspiration. Anouncing: dum, duh, duh, dah!!!- Room Design In A Box. At my reactivated website, I can design a room in your home for one small, flat fee. You send me picrues of your room and basic measurements and within 2 weeks you receive a complete package of what that room can look like, including an easy to understand floor plan, paint colors and a shopping list para ir de compras at your local discount stores like Wal Mart and Target, JC Penney and Bed Bath and Beyond. Some items can even be purchased online! It's as easy as delivery of your room design in a nice tidy package, a room in a box! Love what you have, but are just sick of the layout? A room redesign using your existing furniture and adding new accessories and paint colors is just $175.00. Imagine a whole new looking room where you have to buy nothing but a few vases and pictures, maybe new curtains and paint- for under $200.00. What kind of designer can do that? I can! In this economy, I am coming back to my people to say that you can have a beautiful home like you deserve- just a whole lot cheaper! Let me help you. Interior Design with Latino's in mind! Please check out my new website at
www.wix.com/id2you/room-design-in-a-box

Beat Recession Depression- Start With Your Powder Room

The powder room is the crown jewel of the home. For those of you that are lucky enough to have them- they are just swell! They serve the purpose of giving visitors to your home a place to relieve themselves when they've shared too many maragitas to hold in. Then they get to wash their hands in your lovely little sink and vacate without having to see your many toiletries and the contents of your shower that you have in your main or master bathroom. Yes, the powder room, it's like the builder's little gift to us creatives and those of us too exhausted to clean the rest of our house. How dirty can a powder room get anyway?

As a designer, the powder room can be a decorative dream. Because it is the most viewed by client's friends, family and strangers, they typically like to make a big impression by going all out in this room. You can get a lot of bang for your buck in this room (although I have done a few powder rooms over $10,000 too). I will share some secrets with you on how to make the most of your powder room for little dollars, and will also share what I do for my clients.

Tip #1:

Trash that medicine cabinet or plate mirror and replace it with a framed mirror for dramatic impact. Some of the best places to find mirrors from traditional to contemporary for little dollars?- TJ Maxx and Marshalls (the same store), Ross (for the west coasters), Lowes, Home Depot and Bed Bath and Beyond. I have picked up some of my best mirrors from these stores. If you are going to BB and B, go when you get the coupon in the paper for 20% off. You can save a pretty penny and typically you can get a nice, new framed mirror for between $30 and $80. (SHH! designer secret!!!)

Tip #2:

The decorative towels that you display on the towel rod should not be used for guests to wipe their hands on; not only because it's not sanitary, but because it always messes up the special way you wrap the towels with that pretty ribbon and tassel! LOL. Seriously though, I realize that we are all trying to go green and I am the first to advocate green practices, ESPECIALLY in my own home. I do have to say, with all of the viruses going around lately, unless you can install a hand dryer in your lav- stay away from regular towels. Now, there's a sustainable solution for my method of madness. Buy recycled paper towels and a decorative vertical paper towel holder. Or, for even more elegance, buy a long decorative tray and use long decorative napkins inside (preferably recycled). You now see this done in many commercial bathrooms and it will work just as well in your powder room.

Tip #3:

Replace that germ filled bar of hand soap with a decorative soap dispenser. Now, there is really NO excuse for this one. I have seen some really cute ones in Target and have even seen stainless steel dispensers at Wal-Mart. Don't just buy one for your soap, buy a second for lotion and place that on your sink counter as well. Make it a great fragranced lotion and matching liquid soap from Bath and Bodyworks, if you can. CALLING ALL BACHELORS- us women love this stuff-try Moonlit Path! While you are at it, repeat this step in the kitchen. You hands will thank you!

Tip #4:

If you have not already, and if your space allows it, replace your round toilet with an elongated. Not only will the man in your life thank you, but the seat's longer curve feels far more comfy on the toushie than the short round style.This fix can cost you as little as $69.00 with a toilet in a box at the big box store. Many times you can even find one at a building supply reseller-a big place where people take their old fixtures rather than throw them away. You can get one for a song and save the planet while doing so. A lot of times the products are in perfect condition, one might have just removed it for a particular brand or model of toilet. Trust me, my clients do it all the time!

Tip #5:

In case you have not already done this... and this is FREE... get rid of that nasty germ infested toilet seat cover with the matching wrap around toilet rug and tank cover. UUGGHH! They have absolutely No place in the world of design... enough said here.

Tip #6:

If you have a nice vanity, consider replacing your sink top. I have been to many "Liquidator" places that sell granite counters pre-cut to specific smaller vanity sizes, with the single center hole cut out to fit a vessel sink. You can also go to a granite supplier's "Bone Yard" and have them or another granite installer cut you a piece to fit your vanity and a hole for your new vessel sink. I keep saying vessel sink because they are dandy and right on trend. I found a basic, yet classic white vitreous china sink at the Low Box Store for under $100. I then found a great 31" top at a store called Construction Lots, they all have names similar to this. lol. The faucet at $99.00 and the top at $200.00 gave me a brand new look to the powder room for $400.00. If you do not want to go that elaborate, you can find adorable solid surface 1 piece counters with bowl attached for under $300.00.

Tip #7:

Get rid of the dressing room bulbs overhead and replace them with an updated light fixture, again- the big box store will have some inexpensive options- but so do Target and Wal-Mart, where a client once scored a decent 3 light fixture for $40.00. What a bargain!

Tip #8:

Tile, tile, tile. So many powder rooms still have linoleum in them. Why? You can find such gorgeous tile nowadays for $3.00 a square foot. If your powder room is a standard 4'x8', including an added 10% for waste- you are looking at under $120.00 for a brand new floor! Floor tile in such a small space is not hard to do, and if you must call a contractor to install it- you can find an odd job guy for next to nothing. You can even get fancier in this room than you might in your other bathrooms, because of the cost. Add a border or listello (trim or deco tile strip) to the edges of your tiled floor. This will create a custom look for little dollars.

Tip #9:

Wallpaper is back baby! If you are afraid of wallpaper in a large space but find a great pattern, this is the room to do it- and it does not take many man hours to install. Once again, if you can't DIY this, please consult a pro- but this is another project that doesn't have to cost a fortune. You can even do just one wall and paint the remaining three. I would strongly suggest that you paper the wall behind the sink, no matter where the rest of the fixtures are. This gives the most drama when washing your hands and looks smashing behind that new framed mirror you just bought! Although it is on the sink wall, the paper of today is easily cleanable and far more durable. A splatter of water, which should be stopped by your backsplash anyway, will not stain or damage the paper. This is what most high end clients prefer in their homes. We call it a jewel box bathroom because it is packaged up all pretty in a decorative little box with rich colors and vibrant patterns! Even the most demure, calm and color-phobic client will generally allow me to go a little crazy in the powder room. It's a room they themselves don't often see, never use and are not worried about ruining with a bad choice. They always love the end result!!!

Tip #10:

When all else fails, you cheapest option- outside from the soap dispensers and the FREE one- is paint. If your bathroom is small enough, 2 quarts of paint at Wal-Mart in their Color Space brand will cost you around $16.00. Don't make the mistake and think you only need one can because the room is so small. You will have to do two coats and that nearly always means 2 cans. If you have gotten good lighting for this room, meaning a fixture with several 60 watt or higher bulbs, you can even go dark with the color choice for this room. Paint the trim a nice crisp white and all is forgiven on the darkness front. If you are using warm colors, you can even paint the trim in a bright ecru, but don't go any darker.

Although there are many other more expensive ways to improve this room, I have stuck with the least expensive to provide some great options that you can use to add a little flair to one of the littlest rooms of the home and help you to BEAT RECESSION DEPRESSION!

Hola Todo,

I am excited to share with you that I did an interview with Urban Latino Radio in New York City. The host of the show, Erik Rivera, is a stand-up comedian favorite in the NY comedy scene, including regular appearances at The Comedy Cellar, Caroline's on Broadway, Broadway Comedy Club and Comic Strip Live. He, together with a panel of comedians and lifestyle experts of Latin heritage, interview celebrities and talents in all aspects of fashion, home trends, music, politics, comedy, etc... I am proud to have had a great, although somewhat tongue-tied, interview with him and his panel on the radio. It will reach thousands in the Latin community and will be simultaneously broadcast on i-tunes. As soon as I know the date and time, I will fill you all in. Go Latino, Go!!!

Still Trying To Sell Your Home?- Stage It For Quicker Results

This recession has been a tough marketplace for those of us trying to sell our homes. Latinos have become empowered and are attempting to make good choices when it comes to their homes and whether or not to hold onto a bad investment. Many of us are upside down in our properties, owing way more than our homes are worth. If we are able to, with a good credit score, solid job history and a nice down payment, we can put our homes on the market and take advantage of the great buys out there for us to either downsize our mortgage payments or increase our home size for not much more than what we are paying now. El problema grande es- unloading our current home. It is truly a buyer's market and having our homes sit for months at a time, when we are trying to upgrade is bad for our wallets. One way to alleviate this stress is to hire a home stager.

When we have lived in our homes for many years we tend to become immune to our personalization of our space. Us Latinos love our vibrant colors, our familia and the ten thousand photos we have all over our walls of them from when they were 8 months old ( and they are now 26). We overlook the minor things that make up who we are, but can detract potential buyers coming into our homes for the first time. A Home Stager can see our place with an objective eye, the eye of a potential buyer. They are trained in the art of depersonalization. They will turn your home into a more neutral space, opening up the view of a new homeowner to visualize themselves in your home. They take this wonderful HOME that you have created and turn it back into just a HOUSE (an impersonal space), which is important, because a potential home buyer will not invest in a place that they cannot visualize themselves in. Many homeowners do not understand that buyers are visual creatures. Most can't see past the furniture and personal items in the home as they walk around. Think back to when you made the decision to purchase your home. What attracted you to that house? Was it a new model freshly decorated or the layout of the previous owner's living room furniture? Whether it was a new build or a resale, homes are sold easiest when a buyer can understand the layout and this is done best when a home is staged.

A stager will walk through your home and show you what to display and what to store away for your next house. They might suggest a small investment in new paint for your living room or remove 70% of the clutter in your kid's room, only displaying a few key items. They might have you rent a dining room table and chairs that will better reflect the size of your eating area or tell you to invest a few grand into refinishing your kitchen cabinets to update their look to a more appealing and current style which will attract buyers. The main objective of a home stager is to help your home sell faster than a non-staged home, and they do! Most staged homes sell three to nine times faster (depending on whose statistics you read- they are all over the internet!). They are even finding that, despite the bad economy, staged homes can still sell for more money than the average non-staged home.

Real estate agents are really starting to realize the importance of a staged home as well. I would really hope that all of my Hispanic agents will jump ahead of the trend and specify staged homes for their sellers. Not only will the small investment benefit the seller, but it will increase sales in your portfolio and therefore, increase your profit margins. I love it when Latinos can get ahead in any positive way!

When considering a home stager for hire, make sure that you interview more than one, but no more than three. Too much choice is not always a good thing and can just make the decision more difficult. There is a Home Stager accreditation, but do not necessarily base your selection on whether they have this or not- as it is only a course that they need to complete after paying a third party and not a state accredited test or license. It is also not necessary in most states to be certified in this field at all, so just make sure you are happy with their work. Ask for references from 3-5 past clients and actually call a few! Also, ask to see their portfolio and hopefully it will have before and after photos of their work. Now, understand that these photos will not be as dramatic as an interior design portfolio. When you are looking at their work, notice if you are happy with the result in the "after" picture. If the "before" picture showed a cluttered bedroom, did the "after" picture look calm and inviting? If the "before" picture showed an empty living room, does the "after" picture show nicely placed furniture that shows off the best features of the space, or are they covered up by too much decoration? A little decoration in a staged home is necessary, but too much will look less like a model home and more like a decoration store.

The other important thing is to realize that you have to spend a little money to make money. A good home stager will probably charge between $80.00- 150.00 an hour. If they charge less, I would question their self worth and whether or not they know their field. If they charge more than that, know that they are not worth it. An Interior Designer with a degree makes an average of $150.00 - 200.00 per hour in most states and home staging requires far less knowledge. If the stager is charging by job, they can charge anywhere from a percentage of the the sale price of the home to a flat fee of anywhere from $250.00 for a do-it-yourself list of repairs and how to stage your home to a few thousand for their work and a possible furniture rental fee, which you will usually pay directly to the rental store. Some might see these prices and want to run for the hills, but, when you put this small price up against the amount of money you will save by your house selling quickly, it's a no brainer. The small investment in a home stager's services is ALWAYS less than the amount of money you will lose on the sale of your home with the first price reduction. You see, each month that your house sits on the market, the real estate agent is forced to reduce the sale price to entice buyers to purchase your home. If your agent does not reduce the price themselves, you will notice that the offers that come in for your home will usually reflect the buyer reducing what they feel the house is worth by how long your home has been listed, anyway. This reduction is anywhere from 5% to 20% ( usually around 10% in most parts of the country). A good home stager doing your entire home including furniture and accessories and storage fees will charge an average of 1.5- 3%, saving you a ton of money in the short and long run.

Let's make wise decisions for a bright future. Nuestro dia viene.

2010's Color Forecast- For The Hispanic Home

Hola Todo,

Recently Pantone released it's color trends for the coming year. This information is the coveted top secret from which we design all of our trendsetting interiors and new furnishings. Much of it is common sense for where the trends were heading anyway combined with one or two suprises just for fun! Sometimes I think someone who gets paid a whole bunch of money just sits around in an all white room for a week until they come up with the craziest concept that they can possibly find, and then try to interpret it for rooms- like "Purple Leapard print wallpaper will be the new black". At any rate, just like fashion, we all follow like foot soldiers. We have to have it and soon it's all you will see in the stores. The only problem with it all, is that it is far from timeless in your home. And while you can throw out those high heel sneaker shoes with the red numbers on them ( I still have a pair from the city in my closet), you don't want to spend thousands of dollars on your home to only have to get rid of half of what's in there next season! ?Quien tiene el dinero? Not I.

So how do we work with the new colors in the coming year? We disect the trends and extract the colors and patterns newly introduced that can become staple pieces in our homes. Let's look at some of them now:

Galaxy Palette:

Most of us latinos will love the bold mixes of colors in the new forecast. Cues are taken from all aspects of nature and, thanks to all of our lab created hybrids, we have given ourselves a lot to choose from. This palette pulls from the vibrant colors in the night, stormy skies and outer space. What this means for us is bold blues, green/ blues and violets. If there's one common theme in all of the palettes we are seeing for the coming year- it's the continuation of blue and the resurgence of anything with a violet base. Violet, from deep purples to fushias, mauves and pinks... that's right mama, I said MAUVE! Oh man, did I have a lot of mauve back in the day. That was the color! Now it's introduced in a new hue. It is not your mother's mauve. The other common theme you will find throughout all of the palettes is metallics. Yes papi, bling is still the thing. Gold is making a comeback in fashion and the home. Combine gold with a bold blue and you have the galaxy and sun together for one good looking room.

Gatherings Palette:

African styles are back this year. The same basic colors are repeated in this style, just with an ethnic flair. This one also introduces a Lemon Curry and Copper Coin. The colors resemble Adobo and a nice penny. No, African themed doesn't mean you can bring out that black framed picture with the 2 lions on it... We are talking about a scaled back African design. You can do this with hints of bamboo, rattans or woven grasses. Try a tall seagrass pot of Birds of Paradise (the flower). Add a few throw pillows weaved of jute. You can use these colors as accents to what you currently have in your home.

High Definition Palette:

This one is simple... Black and white goes with everything. Next season pair it with a bold color for a statement. The only colors you want to mix with these next year are gold, fushia, purple or silver. And we can mix our metallics again- it's in season. The best thing about this palette is that you can keep all of your black and white you already own, and just toss out the gray we added last season.

There are some color palettes introduced that I will wait to touch on, so that I can provide you a visual of how they should be done. I will do this for you soon, así que usted puede ser "En el Sabe".

The last and safest palette I want to touch on is:

Tinged Neutrals:

This palette is also easy to apply en la casa. The idea here is to use neutral colors that have a hint of an actual color in them. So your white paint has a tint of blue, your beige pillows have a hint of a champagne metallic to them. Remember rose gold neclaces- that's what this is all about. ( and that's in again, by the way- so break out your rose flower ring.

I will have more on these trends in the coming weeks, as this is just an introduction to what will be hot in homes next year. Talk to you soon, and enjoy the sneak peek!

Using Mexican Design In A Neutral Interior

Traditional Mexican Interiors are known the world over for their rich, saturated colors, hand painted tiles, rough wall textures and staple decor pieces. There are many who visit this country and adore the idea of a Hacienda Style Home but are too fearful of color to apply this design style in their own settings. There are so many ways to capture the soul of this playful, bold type of design that does not involve going crazy at the paint store. You too can pull these elements into your home. Let me show you how.

As you can see above, on the left is the fairly standard version of a bold walled interior, using neutral furniture and placing the high powered hues on the walls. Mexican interiors are known for their hand hewn woods in warm mesquites and rosewoods, giving furnishings their rustic appeal.

Through the magic of Picassa... on the right we have now taken all of the elements of the first interior and carried them to our more neutral room, updating the interior and still maintaining the same furnishings, with a few minor exceptions. For the faint at heart, we have neutralized the color palette on the walls with beige tones. You can go with a combination of beiges and tans, contrasting from one wall to the next. On the previously orange fireplace, how about adding a decorative glass mosaic in a fire red? I have also made the mantel more prominent by increasing the height and showing it in an espresso stained wood. This combined with the black oval coffee table add a touch of modern into this eclectic space. I have then taken the bold wall colors and applied them to what was once the more neutral accessories in the room. Rather than a white lace curtain, let's continue with a red panel curtain hung a foot higher than the actual window to give this cozy room a slightly larger feel in scale. Instead of the matchy matchy blah beige sofa and chair pair, how about reupholstering the sofa in a richer brown, or if you can step a bit outside the safe box, try using a printed fabric on the accent chairs in a red or blue, even the great sunny yellow. In this example I have used throw pillows to add splashes of bold color to the monotone chairs and added a throw in a royal blue on our brown sofa.

Only you know your color limitations, but now you know that you can do color! Mexican design is just one of the many diverse design styles you can infuse into your space, brought to you by our Latino people. Whether you try it full scale, or in moderation, it is guaranteed to add a smile to your home.

Time to Lose The Knick Knacks!

So, if you are like me, your abuela was a mean collector...of anything and everything she could get her hands on! Mine had 1,000 figurines, statues and random inatimate objects of no particular theme spread out all over her wall unit and on the coffee table. They took a while to dust off and me, with my creative eye, would spend half an hour every few days rearranging them on the wall unit. She also had this blown glass statue of a clown, that my brother and I swore would stare at us and follow us wherever we moved around the room! Now that she is in heaven, I'm sure she knows that we "accidentally" knocked that clown over and broke it during one of it's staring sessions. (Oops!)

We all have that family member, or maybe it is you, that has a large collection of elephants (because they bring us good luck) or capias that we have collected from every baby shower, quinceanera and wedding, or gifts that we have gotten throughout the years. Yes, us Hispanics, we love our STUFF but we often lose sight of how to properly arrange them within our space, or whether they even belong there in the first place. My fellow Latinos, it's time to get rid of some of those knick knacks. It's time to simplify our style.

Take a look at the curio cabinet above. The items inside the cabinet are random, but follow a theme and a color palette. They are scaled back and grouped together in varied numbers. Here are some rules to follow when creating a grouping on or in a cabinet.

1. Rule of 1's 2's and 3's. Design will tell you that grouping similar items in sets of threes and fives is most appealing to the eye. The problem with that rule is that people take it so literally, that they will line up three of everything in a space and leave a path of little soldiers. Too much structure leaves nowhere for the eye to gaze then rest. You will tend to focus on the overall picture instead of the individual pieces within the space. Try taking items of different shapes and sizes and dispersing them on each shelf in a random number. On one shelf place three items, on the next focus on just one larger piece, below that group four together.
2. Stagger your arrangement. This goes back to the soldier theme. Don't line them all up in a row. Place a larger piece behind, as an anchor for that arrangement. Then place a coordinating piece in smaller size and shape further up on the left and maybe a taller, yet narrower piece off to the right. This will create visual interest.
3. Coordinating doesn't mean all in the same color. Matching colors is nice, but too much of the same is not always a good thing and is also a bit outdated. As you see in the cabinet above, the adjacent room's palette is of warm coppers and the wall where the cabinet sits is a khaki green. In the cabinet you find a mix of copper and salmon colored pieces, together with peachy yellow pieces ( a few tints lighter than the main color) and then small hints of khaki in accent pieces. This creates the perfect blend of the two spaces.
4. Have fun with it! Creating a beautiful, updated space doesn't mean that we have to be so serious and grown up, well...maybe a little grown up! Mix a serious collection of items with a witty statue or a crazy picture you got on your trip to the islands. You don't have to get rid of every fun thing you have- use that one favorite elephant, but then store the rest of the herd in a memory box with all of the important things you just can't part with. Stuffed animals (I'm sorry novios) have no place in an adult decor. Take a few of those Valentine's Day gifts that he bought on the street corner with the balloon in it and neatly display them on the top shelf in your daughter's room. Or tuck one away for safe keeping, but separate the attachment you have for the bears and update your style. A Latin interior can be just as beautiful as we are, if you take the time to do it right!