Home & Decor
With a focus on <a href="https://blog.xbydesign.biz/what-is-green-design/">Green Design</a>, I help my clients reuse and up-cycle what they love and recycle the rest. I love to share <a href="https://blog.xbydesign.biz/diy-console-table/">many of the projects</a> I take on for others & in my own home, as well as share resources for <a href="https://blog.xbydesign.biz/create-a-beautiful-sustainable-living-room/">sustainably sourced home decor</a>.
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How to Make Houston Feel Like Home (Inside and Out!)
This post was kindly written by Bellhops Moving Company. Houston has a lot to offer newcomers. From it’s affordable real estate prices to its booming job market, people are drawn to Houston for a range of reasons. But how can you make this new city feel like home? Where do you begin? Well, as a Houston interior designer, I may be a bit biased. Nothing makes a home feel more welcoming than a perfectly curated style that reflects your personality, which I can help with! But there are many other things you can do to get a better feel for your new location. I’ve compiled my top tips for making…
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7 Easy Budget Friendly Interior Design Tricks to Transform Your Kitchen
I have a service called the Xtraordinary Room Remix where I makeover a room for a specified budget by making small changes with big impact. I’ve just wrapped a kitchen project that is bigger than a Room Remix & but not a full remodel & I’ve recently made a few changes to my own kitchen that have made a world of difference. Now that I’m done with both of these projects, I’m sharing some easy interior design tips that will transform your kitchen. These are the best ways to update your kitchen quickly, easily, & on a budget. 7 Easy & Budget Friendly Interior Design Tricks to Transform Your Kitchen…
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A Builder Basic Kitchen Goes Semi-Custom
Happy 2018 y’all! I am excited about what this year has in store. After spending most of 2017 out on IR with a broken foot, I finally got the go ahead to kick off my boot & start living life again. For half the year I was not able to work, walk, drive, or anything else! So when I was completely cleared, I was SO ready to do something but was at a loss about how I was going to secure my next project. I couldn’t really plan for it since I was at the mercy of God & nature to heal my broken bones. Turned out that a long…
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Why Is Interior Design So Important?
It’s a quote about education, but I think it applies to the person as a whole. To life overall. What does it have to do with design? Why is interior design & decorating so important? It’s the same reason that your wardrobe, your hair, & your overall external appearance is important. It’s your first impression. When you look good, you feel good. You walk a little taller, smile a little brighter, and look people in the eye when you feel good because you look good. For me personally, heels make me feel powerful & sexy. Having a home that reflects your style, in the same way, has the same effect…
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How to Create a Beautiful Sustainable Living Room
Following up on my Living Room Layout Guide I wanted to show you a practical way to create a beautiful sustainable living room. There are 3 things I always hear when it comes to sourcing an eco-friendly home: 1. It’s hard to find great looking items that are “sustainable” Shopping sustainably isn’t as hard as it seems. Believe it or not, there are retailers large & small, well-known & hidden gems that are dedicated to environmental & social responsibility. I’ll bet that some of the retailers you already buy from have some sort of policy in place or specific product lines that are eco-friendly to some degree. 2. Eco-friendly furniture…
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10 Simple & Affordable Sustainable Kitchen Essentials
Do you ever think “I’d go green if it weren’t so expensive”? If you are a home cook, you may even think the only way to be sustainable in the kitchen is through your food choices. Think again, my friend! The tools you choose to use in your kitchen can be a quick & easy way to transition to the green life. Here are 10 simple & affordable Sustainable Kitchen Essentials to get you started. 1. Wood Cutting Board What makes it sustainable? It will last a very long time. It’s made from wood so it’s recyclable. Depending on the type of wood it’s made from, it can be extremely…
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Recovering From Hurricane Harvey
Houston is the biggest small town in the world. For as big as we are, we know no strangers. In the past week, Hurricane Harvey dumped a ton of water on Texas – trillions of gallons. While most of our city (and many surrounding areas including our neighbors to the south & east) is underwater, many of our friends, family & neighbors who were flooded out of their homes are headed home to assess the damage & begin the arduous process of rebuilding. This process can provide closure & make victims feel better knowing what they are facing. And no doubt it feels better to take action than to sit, be still,…
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How To Plan Your Living Room Layout
Everyone I know wants to walk into their homes at the end of the day and feel a sense relief, take in the air & say “ahhh it’s SO good to be home, love every corner they see, feel safe & comfy cozy. I know I do too! Other than our bedrooms & offices (whether we work from home, on the go, or in corporate spaces), we spend the most time in our living rooms. Watching TV, reading, gaming, relaxing, entertaining and even working & sleeping. Daily Time Spent per Room by nckyola Since we spend so many waking hours in the living room, we should love it right? Right.…
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Backyard Makeover Update: The Patio Extension
Hey y’all! It’s been a while since I’ve updated you on what’s been going on around the 4th house. Since I got the green light to kick off the boot & start walking again, I have been busy trying get things back to “normal” around here. Remember my excitement at participating in the One Room Challenge again this spring? I was happy to find a way to join in even though I had a broken foot & was under strict guidelines about what I could physically do. I chose to work on our backyard since it required more planning from me & all the heavy duty work had to be…
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DIY Customized Grill Tool Holder
When we decided to makeover our backyard, there were several projects that I knew I wanted to do. This is not one of those projects. Along the way we had so many delays and so many “a-ha” moments that led to completely fun & practical projects like this grill tool holder. I have to say that this was absolutely NOT my original idea. We looked at so many grill tool holders at high & low price points and even considered trying to clean up & modify the 1 that comes attached to the actual grill (which turned out to be too much trouble, especially since we planned to build a…
