I love living in Texas because a good five to six months out of the year the weather is perfect for entertaining outdoors.  Many of my clients have me work with them to create elaborate outdoor spaces complete with televisions, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, drapery and upholstered pieces. 

I love to use bold colored fabrics on outdoor furniture pieces.  Consider tying in your fabric color scheme with your landscape and native Texas plants.  Fuchsia, Coral, Bright Yellow, Citron Green and Aqua are among some of my favorites.      

By creating an outdoor space you actually add more room for entertaining and being outdoors is good for your well being.  We all spend way too much time indoors.  An outdoor party is a great way to get some fresh air and sunshine.    

Entertaining outside is also easier on the wear and tear of your home.  After all, if red wine is spilled on the patio it is much easier to clean up than if it spills on indoor carpet.  Most of the outdoor fabrics are also very durable and easier to clean than indoor fabrics.

 Tie your outdoor tableware in with the color scheme you have established for your patio.  Dillard’s or Bed, Bath and Beyond are great stores to purchase colorful plastic cocktail glasses, plates and cloth napkins.  These are safer for entertaining around the pool and patio than glass items.

Some tips for a beautiful table:

1.  Look around your yard.  I love to find pretty berries, leaves, rocks and flowerings plants from the landscape to decorate a table.  It is enjoyable to search for these items and it is amazing the beautiful things you can find.  This will tie your table in beautifully with its surroundings.
   1. Don’t forget the citronella candles for ambiance and to keep pesky bugs away.  If your party will go into the night be sure to include plenty of light by also adding lanterns, and torches.  The food table’s surface should be bright enough for guests to see what they’re eating.
   2. Rim your pool with candles and float candles in pools and ponds to create additional ambiance and so endure that guests won’t dive in, unless that is your intention.

Be sure your food has some color.  The Grilled Summer Steak Salad I am recommending this month is colorful, easy to serve and delicious!   Pair this meal with a colorful summer drink and cool dessert and for an easy to prepare great time.

- Robin Bond

Media rooms are now all the rage.  If people don’t have one, but don’t want to move, they are adding them to their existing homes.

Helpful suggestions for a fabulous media room:

1.  Consider oversized sofas, chairs and ottomans.  Theater seating is nice, but keep in mind that you are unable to stretch out.  For this reason, some of my clients prefer sectional or oversized furniture instead. 
2. Don’t make the room too large.  A larger room is more difficult to properly fill with sound. 
3. Avoid square rooms.  They tend to produce strange sounds.  A rectangular room is ideal.  Place the screen on the narrow side.  The wall behind the screen should not have windows or a door.
4. Be prepared to install drapes to prevent glare or light gaps around windows.  You will also have the added benefit of the fabric helping with the sound.
5. You do not want high ceilings in a media room.  Standard height ceilings are best for sound control.
6. Use flat paint and dark wall colors.  Dark gray or black is a great choice.
7. Fabric or micro-fiber furniture pieces are a better choice than leather.  Some leather pieces make noise as you move around on them and can be a distraction.
8. Hardwood floors are great for your family room, but a big mistake in a media room.  Sound is best controlled by selecting carpet as your flooring choice.
9. Don’t forget the snacks.  A nice bar or snack area with a refrigerator and microwave with make it convenient to make popcorn and really get that “going to the movies” experience.

- Robin Bond

Media rooms are now all the rage.  If people don’t have one, but don’t want to move, they are adding them to their existing homes.

Helpful suggestions for a fabulous media room:

1.  Consider oversized sofas, chairs and ottomans.  Theater seating is nice, but keep in mind that you are unable to stretch out.  For this reason, some of my clients prefer sectional or oversized furniture instead. 
2. Don’t make the room too large.  A larger room is more difficult to properly fill with sound. 
3. Avoid square rooms.  They tend to produce strange sounds.  A rectangular room is ideal.  Place the screen on the narrow side.  The wall behind the screen should not have windows or a door.
4. Be prepared to install drapes to prevent glare or light gaps around windows.  You will also have the added benefit of the fabric helping with the sound.
5. You do not want high ceilings in a media room.  Standard height ceilings are best for sound control.
6. Use flat paint and dark wall colors.  Dark gray or black is a great choice.
7. Fabric or micro-fiber furniture pieces are a better choice than leather.  Some leather pieces make noise as you move around on them and can be a distraction.
8. Hardwood floors are great for your family room, but a big mistake in a media room.  Sound is best controlled by selecting carpet as your flooring choice.
9. Don’t forget the snacks.  A nice bar or snack area with a refrigerator and microwave with make it convenient to make popcorn and really get that “going to the movies” experience.

- Robin Bond

Everyone is familiar with the saying “Out with the old, and in with the new”, but when it comes to spring-cleaning and simplifying your environment, sometimes “Out with the old” is just what the doctor ordered.  The most common decorating mistake I come across is “over decorating” or clutter.

Less is more.  By scaling down and only keeping your favorite pieces, more attention is focused on the few and allowing them to make more of a statement.  If you walk into a room and too much is “going on”, your eyes don’t know where to focus.  There is no sense of peace or harmony.  Don’t we all want for our houses to be a peaceful place to retreat from our hectic lifestyles?

I especially see this mistake with people having too many small picture frames.  A few family pictures personalize a space and can tell a story.  Too many can be “busy” and overwhelming.  Instead of a bunch of small ones, opt for a few in each room.  Keep just the best pictures out and put the rest in albums.  You could also create a wall gallery or utilize the wall along a staircase.  Lastly, hallways are another great place to display photos.

Another benefit to doing away with clutter is that you can donate these items to a local charity, which will allow those who are less fortunate to be blessed by your generosity. Begin to look around your home in finding things you can give away and take notice of things not only “sitting out”, but also in your closets or garage as well.  You will be empowered and refreshed by this process.  Make it a goal to fill at least one sack or box.  These items will help brighten someone’s life.

As a final thought, I highly recommend putting a date on your calendar in the spring and then again prior to the Holidays to go through this cleaning and purging process.  This will ensure that twice a year you are re-evaluating your environment to keep it fresh and alive.  “Out with the old” can make all things new again, for you and your fellow man.

- Robin Bond