Holiday Home Spruce Up

Happy Halloween!

I know its only October 31th! But that means less than two months until Christmas day and Hanukkah starts December 11th! While I am definitely not an advocate of department store displays any earlier than a week or two before Thanksgiving and I most certainly am not one to listen to Christmas music prior to December 10th I do believe that starting to think about the holidays early pays off.

After spending a beautiful (and oddly warm) fall day driving through the country north of Washington, DC my thoughts have some how turned to cleaning. Maybe its that I saw my first fully decorated Christmas tree in downtown Bethesda that got my heart racing or that more of the leaves are suddenly on the ground rather than on the trees. So, I plan on spending the day tomorrow working on all of those little things which need to be taken care of around the house. Cleaning the kitchen is on the top of my list, I want to be prepared for all of the upcoming holiday baking and cooking that I plan to do. I love Meyer's Cleaning Products, they are good for the earth, smell awesome and most importantly actually work! Check out a few of my other favorite household products!

Dust Pan and Brush Set $55.00, dwr.com; Mrs. Meyer's All Purpose Cleaner $7.99, mrsmeyers.com;
pomegranate candle, jo malone; pop up sponges $14.00 for 12, Willliams Sonoma;
Apron $35.00, Anthropologie; All purpose kitchen towels $18.00 for 4, Williams Sonoma;
Mrs. Meyer's Lavender Kitchen Basics Set $9.99, mrsmeyers.com



Whitney's List of Things to Do (First Week of November)
- Deep clean kitchen
- Inventory pantry: do I have all of the flour, sugar, etc I will need for the upcoming season?
- Finish unpacking winter clothes
- Summer clothes washed/dry cleaned and packed away
- Don't Forget to Set the Clock back tonight!!

This is also a great opportunity to get around to things you have been putting off all year long. Start a list now and spend the first weeks of November getting things in order. There is nothing like the anticipation of holiday guests to get your butt in gear! Dusting those giant cobwebs out of the front hall, organizing your closet, and sprucing up your living space. Take a look at your space, often creating better flow is as simple as reorganizing what you already have. Also, adding a few new accessories can really pull a room together. Need help re-organizing your space- no time like now to get me involved in updating your homes' look!

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Terrific Tablescapes

Creating a beautiful table is the first step towards a wonderful meal and a great dining experience. Eating hot dogs and baked beans on a well designed table somehow becomes an event and something to remember.


Start with something simple- a large white dinner plate or a neutral simply patterned plate will work great. You don't have to have fancy stuff to make something fantastic. Then begin to layer on items that you have around the house. Jewelery can be a great embellishment to any simple place setting. A pile of vintage books can make an intriguing center piece and maybe even stimulate some literary conversation.

Mix & Match- layering differing colors and textures creates visual interest. Glass adds sparkle and an element of transparency. Displaying the meal in unexpected ways can be just the touch you need to create the right atmosphere.

Mixing old with new can create lovely contrast. Here I layered on some wooden fans that I had around the house and used wooden chopsticks as an element of the tablescape. The monochromatic color scheme with the strong punch of red creates impact.

Holiday tables can be really fun to create. This one is very simple but I used the best silver and added little touches like the individual salt and pepper shakers and the glass bowl of bright green baubles.

Here I used empty jam jars for wine glasses and I love the blue checked table cloth. There is a lot happening on this table but I kept the colors simple so that it is not overwhelming. I also added dried pasta as an interesting element to add texture and to introduce the theme of the meal.

I love to play up a theme. Creating a tablescape for appetizers and drinks can be really fun and an opportunity to be creative. I added a small painting to my table, a glass filled with matchbooks and used a great cutting board to display my cheese and apples.



Some other tips:

- multiple types of glasses will add sparkle to your table. You don't even have to use all of the same glasses at each place setting

-serve water in a cool french water bottle, I buy lemonade in these bottles at wholefoods and then keep the bottles filled with filtered water in the fridge

-cloth napkins and table cloths add so much to a table, you can find inexpensive table linens in many places, start collecting beautiful linens and use them!!


plates and chemistry beekers, anthropologie
table linens, worldmarket, lorina lemonade, wholefoods market

How Can I Help?

Let me create a tablescape for your next dinner party. We can work together to plan the right look and atmosphere for your table using things you have around your home. I will take care of all the details.

Welcome

Good Morning! I am so excited to finally start this blog. I am working on setting up a true website but until then this is where you can find all the information you need about design, lifestyle, event planning and home organization.

I started W Design Studios last year as a full service interior design and lifestyle consulting business. The ultimate goal is to make your life more organized, simple and beautiful. Let me keep your home organized, well-supplied and running smoothly so that you have time to spend with your family and friends. Does a room in your house need an update? I can work with your existing furniture and create a fresh look.

Focus on the Holidays: The holidays are fast approaching. Before you know it they will be upon us. Let me take care of the little details that will make your holiday a joy instead of a burden. Check out the list of services that I will be providing. Everything from decorating the Christmas tree and gift wrapping to planning the perfect holiday event.