Recycled Designs: Designing your Home with Character

As a Lifestylist® I always say that design should be more about lifestyles than trends. Trendy design details and decors tend to cycle out quickly and leave the owner with a home that looks and feels dated. In 2002 I was hired to be the Lifestylist® for Patriot Homes - an amazing factory built housing company based in Elkhart, Indiana. I had worked on factory built homes in the past, but never at this scale.  This is one of the first homes that I LifeStyled for them -it was at The Louisville show for their EnergyMate division. Jumping ahead 10 years, I'd be happy to show or live in this home again - it was well designed, the floorplan was open and perfect for entertaining, and the island was larger than anything else being shown at that time. Be sure to notice the pendant lighting. I know we were one of the first to show them and we were ahead of our.  All of our lighting was part of a partnership I initiated with Home Depot . When you look ...

One of the questions I get asked the most is how I ever decided to become a Lifestylist ®, and where did I get my training. I've been called a storyteller many times and it's an accurate assessment - I use my talents and materials to tell a story in a home. Hopefully this story explains to the potential homeowner why their lives would be better by living in this home, and what they can expect from the community, the builder, and from the experience. To tell the story, I collect thousands of items - old and new - that I incorporate into my LifeStyled homes. This weekend I decided it was time to go through some of the things I've collected, and it's been quite a trip down memory lane. I discovered a trunk I forgot about that had family photos from the early 1900's that gave me a glimpse into my family history I hadn't been aware of. Through this discovery I'm finding I come from a very artistic family full of risk takers. This ostri...

We are so proud to be involved in the home building business, and many of our customers are small privately owned companies that build homes for local families. All of our Lifestylist® companies are built around the idea that if we buy from local companies and support our local businesses we help them to become homeowners and live the all American dream of owning a home of your own.We loved the 8 years that we were the Lifestylist® for Patriot Homes - we always did at least one Patriotic themed model home , and I think they were my favorites. I'd like to say that I'm an example of dreams coming true - I married early, never finished college but here I am owning my own business and being able to help others. If you are looking for a Lifestylist® to help merchandise and add Lifestyle to your homes, please contact us at: answers@lifestylist.com, or take a look at our website at: www.lifestylist.com Let's all support locally owned businesses and bring j...

Happy Thanksgiving! This holiday is about food and family, but even more than that I like to use it to remind me how thankful I am for what I have, and for those around me. For over 25 years my parents were very active doing disaster relief with The Salvation Army , and even raised the money for a state of the art canteen for the Tyler Texas location. Whenever there was a disaster or need and my parents got a call they dropped everything and hit the road. One of the most memorable phone calls I ever received was when Hurricane Katrina hit and my parents answered the call. They called me when they were outside the Super Dome not having a clue what was going on inside. For six weeks they were in the French Quarter feeding the volunteers - my Dad always joked he always wanted to have a restaurant in the French Quarter and he finally got his wish! Whenever this Lifestylist® could I joined them on the road helping my Mom cook up to 2,000 hot meals a day and seeing fir...

It's hard to believe that this Lifestylist® made it  through another year of The State Fair of Texas cooking contests! I am thrilled with the ribbons I won, and even though I missed a few of the contests I usually enter so I could take part in the Thermador Design Council, the information I received (as well as being pampered and having a chef cook almost every meal for us) was better than any ribbon. When I'm thinking about what I want to enter and I'm looking for those special tools, Sur La Table is always my first stop. After I bought a digital candy thermometer there I started winning in the candy contests and now I can't imagine life without it. I also know they will always have the perfect pan, cruet, or sea salt to make my entries stand out. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to get to photograph an event at the Dallas Sur La Table that was a book signing with Martha Stewart ! For three hours I had a chance to see this icon in pe...

Today was one of those perfect days to visit the great State Fair of Texas . It's something we look forward to every year - we even get season passes! I've been entering the cooking contests for over 5 years now, and I'm proud to say I've gotten my share of blue ribbons. It has been so busy around here I haven't had a chance to enter yet, but I think there are some categories that are calling my name. Last year I won in the Tricks with Mix Category, and I'm thinking I may have to see if I can get Best of Show this year. Be sure to check out some of our award winning (and not award winning) entries on our Fair Foodies site. Because of our love of the State Fair of Texas, we have collected some really unusual items from the fair. This is what makes the Lifestylist® touch so unique - not only great items, but items with a story and history.

One of my favorite places to find unique items worthy of being in a Lifestylist® Collection every year is the Ronald's House sale in Rochester, NY. This year the sale will be held Oct. 13-15, and it promises to be one of the best years yet! Take a look at a video we produced showing some of the amazing finds in the past. There are old books and cameras in the video that we used in a very special home a few years ago that was built by @home Builders . This Lifestylist® was asked to completely furnish and LifeStyle a home using items that had been donated to the sale and create a Homearama House for the home tour. All of the merchandise was then auctioned off, and @home Builders was able to raise over $25,000 for Ronald's House! If you are looking for a special vintage cookbook, amazing glass, a Victrola or anything in-between, you need to check out this sale. All proceeds go to fund The Ronald MacDonald House in Rochester, NY

It has been a really busy summer, and we've been working hard on some really innovative products that we are almost ready to share with you. Lifestylist® Design has teamed up with three great companies - The Red Baron Companies , Basic Components Inc . and Syntec Industries to put together some curated collections worthy of the Lifestylist® Designed name. These are products that will make your life easier to live with style, are very well priced, and just make sense. The Red Baron Architectural will be exhibiting at The Sunbelt Builders Show , and we will have some products there to show you that I think you are going to love. Please stop by Booth 1219 and say hello -  anyone who mentions that they found out about about us through this page and "liked" us on our Facebook page will get a special thank-you gift!

SEhomes of Texas opened their Fall Home Show today, and the response from retailers and landlease community owners has been fantastic. Five Lifestylist® Designed homes are being featured, each with it's own theme. The Opening Day party had a hunting theme, and guests had a wonderful time playing washers and feasting on barbeque that was cooked in a smoker resembling a gun. These well designed homes have the features consumers are looking for including master baths with separate showers, large gourmet kitchens, split master suite plans and one home even has a media room with a refreshment area. To get more information on the homes, contact Sales Manager Ryan Blackburn at: ryan.blackburn@sehomes.com

One sure sign that summer is almost over is the sales of colorful, outdoor inspired items at the stores. A lot of the department stores start clearing this merchandise our right after the 4th of July to make room for school items, but the home decor stores tend to wait until Labor Day weekend. One of our Lifestylist® inspired blogs is Dollar Store Decors - items that cost less than a latte. I was out shopping for the 5 new model homes we have to install mid-September, and I was amazed how many cool things that fit this criteria that were giveaway deals, and I also found some great items that I'm going to use to display my "pick-ups" from my summer travels. World Market was full of treasures today -up to 90% off! I found this great chair and two others that were marked down to $9.95 - 90% off. They had two great outdoor dining tables that were at the same savings, but I tend to collect tables and I know I didn't have room for them. But the chairs ha...

As a Lifestylist® , helping others enhance their life and style is what I love doing. Because of this everyone thinks I must live in a glamorous, well designed home, but I have a little secret to share with you. My motto is "your Life, Your Style, Your Way" and that applies to me as well as the people I help, but I have been told that this chair is hurting my reputation. I bought it a long time ago and it was expensive (and is not from Ashley). I was told it was leather, but after the finish started peeling off I found that wasn't the case.  But it does have heated cushions and a massage element in it, as well as that fancy phone so I never had to get up. I tried buying a slip cover for it, but nothing could hide its sad condition. It's still "functional" but it may be time for it to go. If you have your own furniture that may be past it's prime this is the contest for you! Ashley Furniture is having a "Who's ready for REAL furn...

We all have our own version of what the American Dream is - for many that includes owning your own home. My dream was to have my own Home Idea Factory - a place where this Lifestylist® could live and work, would have the character that would let me "practice what I preach" and have some room to garden. I was also hoping to have enough space to continue to help with the animal rescue groups I've joined. All of my dreams came true, and now I have a space that will never be "done", but always evolving. My father told my mother when they got married that some day he would buy her a place on a lake, and he did! Their Hideway Lake home has been the place that many of our family holidays, wedding, and birthdays have taken place, and it is full of wonderful memories. There are people who are looking for an affordable place with a yard to raise their families, use as a second home or retire to and land lease communities can be a great solutio...

The voting is almost complete on the Lifestylist® Designed options that will be included in the @home Builders YMCA Dream Home . This week the interior of the home will be decided, then on May 18th the choices that the voters made will be unveiled at the @home Builders Design Center.Be sure to vote today and help us choose what your favorite is! Videos of all of the choices can be seen on Lifestylist.tv You will then have a chance to bid on the home - that will start May 20th with a starting bid of $200,000.00. The home is located in the beautiful Preserve community in Henrietta, NY.