A Before and After Story

Most of you reading probably already know the news - le petit a.p.t. is on the market! I'm a big huge heap of jumbled emotions... excited, nervous, anxious, scared, happy, relieved, nostalgic, bittersweet, giddy... the list goes on!

This is our first home that we have ever owned, the only home that Bear has ever known (with us!), the home that we brought newborn Ms. Avery Etta back from the hospital to. There are so many memories in this space. Some good, some bad, some ugly. If only walls could talk! It is within these walls that our family of two multiplied to four in just under 3.5 years. 

So, as I mentioned before - a giant ball of emotions.

And although we have been on the buyers side before and found it quite a nail-biting experience, we've never been on the seller's side.. I think it might be just as nerve-wracking quite honestly! The real estate market in Brooklyn is very hot, especially in our area, but it's an odd time of year and the immediate bidding war we were hoping for hasn't materialized -- yet. So, I find myself trolling Street Easy obsessively and checking out or "competition" and comparing user saves. (We have 145 to date people - 145! That's pretty good for 14 days on the market thankyouverymuch). 

As I trolled through our neighborhood's listings I took a trip down memory lane looking at pictures of our apartment before we purchased it. It had been recently renovated and was completely vacant. So I thought to myself, what a great time for a Before + After! Who doesn't love a good before and after? And it's a perfect demonstration of how color and furniture (plus wide angle lenses and a professional real estate photographer!) adds depth and dimension to an otherwise flat, small-ish space. 

So, without further ado. Here is our living room BEFORE I got my hands on it:

And here it is AFTER. 

So, what do you think? 

Stay tuned and follow along for the sure to be wild ride of selling, closing and moving in the months to come!

More soon,

~L.S.

Homepolish Happy

I'm psyched to officially be a part of Homepolish! Even though I am an independent contractor, I've just recently become part of the HP network of designers. #squadgoals acheived! I'm now lucky enough to have some new super talented colleagues to share the design experience with. And, if all goes according to plan, some new clients as well!

If you haven't heard of Homepolish, get your tushy over to their website stat. They're amazing. No, actually. They are phenomenal. They offer hourly interior design services from 700+ highly vetted designers In 15 cities. Their business model is genius. You can purchase design hours at $130/hr with a minimum of 10 hours, going up in increments of 5. This is extremely reasonable for the level of talent and services they're providing you with. They recently also rolled out a one-day in-home design package in which a designer comes to your home for three hours and whips up a little Homepolish Magic. Whether it's some speed shopping, bookshelf styling or some good intra-net sourcing, it's a great way for newbie clients to cut their teeth on the process and feel less intimidated (and broke!) by it all. Most come back wanting more, and then some. 

What I really appreciate about Homepolish though is that they advocate not only for the client but also the designer. It's a total win/win. They recognize how much talent there is in the industry. And people - there is a lot. I am stunned, humbled and amazed daily by how many creative,  talented and capable peeps there are out there! There are heaps and heaps of largely undiscovered design talents, simply because the supply of talent overwhelms the client demand. Or, maybe the designer just doesn't have the right resources to tap into the "big time" projects and thus their max potential is never reached. Weep no more- there's room for everyone! Through a very thorough application and screening process, HP designers are on-boarded and magically matched up with clients. Boom! Brilliant.

Often I find as a designer and small business owner, it's easy to sell myself short because I want to continue to grow my business. But it often backfires on me.  I end up working many more hours than estimated and without proper compensation due to no one's fault but my own. Although it's all part of learning what works and what doesn't, it's inspiring just seeing how successful Homepolish's business model has been in such a short time.

Another designer benefit that will cause many designers reading this to gasp with envy: Homepolish will place and take care of all of the clients orders while passing along a 10% off retail discount to them. Whaaa? Yeah, you heard me correctly! Raise your hand if you're a designer and you spend literally 90 percent of your time doing administrative paperwork, pretending to understand accounting and dealing with messy return processes (the very un-glamorous but very real behind the scenes!) I'm raising both my hands and doing a little dance. Me, me! Well, Homepolish takes that off your plate. They completely extract those tedious administrative shackles so you can be a free, free bird, scheming and shopping to your heart's (and client's) content. This is the stuff design dreams are made of. 

Ok, so, you get the point. Homepolish is awesome.  I'll stop all my mushy gushing, and leave you to mull over these drool-worthy images, courtesy of some of my new HP "colleagues". If these don't make you Homepolish Happy, I don't know what will! 

~L.S.

PS- There's a LOT more where this came from. Just visit Homepolish the Magazine for jaw-dropping home tours, design tips and more!

Momtrepreneur Spotlight: Amber Winick Art + Design Advisory

Another mama who deserves a shout out this week! My friend Amber, of Amber Winick Art + Design Advisory. Aren't she and her daughter Alice, 19 months, gorg? Like many of us, this Brooklynite mom is a talented multi-tasker: wife, mother, small business owner, art historian, designer, educator, writer, fur baby mama... I'll stop there!

I met Amber awhile back while at the park with another one of my momtrepreneur friends, Leah Fox of Charm + Magic. (If you missed my blog on Leah, you can read it here.) In fact, when Avery and I arrived, Leah and Amber were already talking. Leah knows a good one when she sees one! Meeting moms around town is a bit like dating, actually. You never know - should I ask for her digits? Will I ever see her again? So many mommy fish in the sea of Brooklyn! And we're all just swimming around, juggling our many tasks, wearing our many different fedoras, looking for some camaraderie, honest friendship, and a playdate to eat up the (sometimes terrifying) afternoon hours of 4-6 before the DBB (Dinner, Bath, Bedtime) saga begins.

Amber and I got to talking while the babies toddled around the Tot Lot. We quickly figured out that our professions went hand in hand. I was still working at Cullman & Kravis, Inc. at the time, where we often brought in expert art advisors for our projects. As an interior designer and as an aspiring collector, I have to admit, there is something so nice about having an art advisor. Truly, they can learn your tastes, tell you which pieces to invest in, help you build a collection over time. It's so worth it to have someone who is both knowledgeable and has a great eye when it comes to curating a space.

Amber is uber smart and talented (check out these publications!). I would recommend her in a heartbeat to any client who is interested in art and wants a little help figuring out how to give a space that extra touch. Whether you're a serious collector or just getting started, it's easy to see how art can make (or break!) the places we live and work. Here is what Amber has to say:

“I try to take an intuitive approach to collecting. I get to know my clients in order to understand what moves them, what they think about, and how they think. I then share artists and artworks that I think they may connect with. Often my clients become good friends. As a designer, I try to create spaces that intrigue. I love spaces that feel relaxed and never want anything to feel too precious or untouchable.”

YES. Preach it, girl! That is something to strive for as a designer. You want things to be beautiful, yet touchable. Pristine yet cozy. Most importantly, you want the space to elevate your client's spirits, to speak to them on a personal level. This often involves stepping outside of yourself and your own personal tastes - a total challenge.

When Amber was pregnant, she was presented with a career opportunity she couldn't pass up - a Fulbright Research Fellowship in Budapest, Hungary. What a tough decision, and tough timing! She knew in her heart of hearts she had to go for it, despite the many life changes she was about to encounter, or she may look back with regret. So when Baby Alice was three months old, the family packed up and continent-hopped over to Europe. I give them so much credit for doing this! As new parents, it's overwhelming enough having an infant in the comfort of your own surroundings. I think at this point I was barely out of my pajamas and still nodding off on the sofa with one eye open on Avery's bassinet! Here is Amber, shifting cultures, rocking motherhood abroad and researching in Budapest's Museum of Applied Arts (as well as public and private collections throughout Hungary!)

Not only do we have a love of art history and design in common, but since our munchkins are so close in age, Amber and I can relate on many levels. It's a delicate task to juggle motherhood with running a small, design-based business. It's so great to know we can bounce ideas off each other, refer one another, collaborate (and commiserate from time to time!)  We will hopefully have some fun things in the works soon, so stay tuned for that.

In the meantime, how beautiful is Amber's portfolio? Here's just a quick glimpse!

Looks like Alice is following in mama's footsteps, studying Matisse!

~L.S.

For more info, or to contact Amber directly, visit www.amberwinick.com