Invitations Done!

Thanks to our wonderful Bridal Party, we stuffed and addressed our invitations this past Saturday. They are now ready to be mailed out by this coming friday. As we were needing to save some money we went with something very simple in design, but it also matches the simplicity in our wedding.

We ordered out invitations from Michael's online design service MiDesign@MIchaels. It was very simple to use, very customizable and inexpensive. Of course you could get really creative and go with a more expensive design if you wanted. We would have liked to use a handmade artist for out invitations but the expensive was too much for our budget. If you have the room in your budget Go Handmade!

We also went inexpensive by not using a calligrapher for the addressing of our envelopes. We simply used the clear address labels available from Office Max. Very easy to use and we now have address labels we can use again in the future.

Along with printing out our own address labels, a couple months ago we ordered new return address labels from VistaPrint. Planning ahead (a very important thing to do!) we ordered them in our wedding colors, so that not only would we be able to use them on our current mail but we wouldn't have to order new ones for the wedding. It also saved us on the invitations since addressing the envelops on MiDesign cost a little bit extra.

I also learned today that we did not need to add extra postage to our envelopes because we took out the second envelop that usually is adding into the wedding invitations. Always check the weight of your invitations because anything that you add to your envelop adds weight and you don't want them to not get mailed!

The Feel of Color

Tree Wall Decal Sticker

Now that we know how to read a color wheel we need to know how to use it in our specific designs. What do you feel when you walk into your room?

Do you want to be calmed? Excited? Sexy? Clean? Warm? Inviting?

Let's start with calm and clean. To achieve this with color you would want to choose a monochromatic or analogous color scheme. Calm in design equals simple. Keep it simple and you will feel the calm. When it comes to choosing color, pick cool colors: blue, green, purple. A great tip when choosing your color in a monochromatic scheme, go to the paint store and pick out a paint swatch of a color you love and then carry it everywhere! The colors around your favorite color on that swatch are shades, hues and tones that will work great with your main color.

Now lets move onto inviting. An inviting feel can be achieved with most colors but its how you apply your color that makes it inviting. Analogous color schemes lend themselves to being inviting. Adding a little bit of interest by moving to the color to right or left on the color wheel creates warmth without being over powering.

Excited feelings come from high interest. Complimentary color schemes create the most interest, purely because they are opposite on the color wheel. The distance between the colors is what adds excitement. Excitement as the eye jumps from one color to the next around the room.

As we start to look at putting rooms together I will get into a little more detail and show you some examples of each. I would love it if you would email me with you questions and comments! aniemandesign@gmail.com

Where to Start? Finding Your Inspiration

Original Oil Painting

Before starting any design a concept needs to be formulated. Leading the formation of a concept is your inspiration. Designers usually gain their inspiration for their clients as they are introduced to their home.

The first entrance into someone's home is an important threshold. Not only are your clients letting you in to one of the most private places of their lives, it is the center of their lives and family. As you start your own design concept keep that in mind. Your home is not just your house. There are so many aspects that make your house your home.

Many designers will begin by asking you some simple questions. I have listed them below so you can use them in the planning stage of your design.

What pieces would you like to keep in your room?
What feel would you like for your room?
What activities will take place in your room?
What would you like your focal point to be?(follow my blog for a future article on determining focal points)
What colors do you want to use? (future article to come on choosing colors)
How many seats do you need?

These few questions can give you a great starting part. Answer these questions honestly and involve the other people in your family to get their input.

Follow my blog for the next article which will give you some different options for inspiration pieces to start your design from.

Also feel free to email me at aniemandesign@gmail.com with your questions or for information about person room consolations.

The Handmande Home

The handmade world has been booming over the past couple years. Sites like Etsy and art fire have aided the regrowth of the crafting community. I too joined in to this trend and it has become a lifestyle for me as well as many others across the world.

I started selling crocheted items on Etsy in college. I was hoping to capitalize on my talent and earn a little income. Unfortunately for me that was not the case. Over the past few years I have been trying to make a business out of a hobby. And the more I have read about online business success it lead me to realize that my hobby was not my biggest passion.

Knowing that I did some sole searching.

What am I passionate about? The answer was right in front of me. My profession is Interior Design. I love it. Although it can be hard work, it pays off in the end when you make someone's house a home. The biggest problem I have is that am not working for the right company. Although I have learned a lot from my position at La-Z-Boy and I do enjoy my design work, I have not been happy.

So what would make me happy? Working for myself, being my own boss. I didn't want to just be a designer, I wanted to include my love for the handmade world. What better way to involve handmade and design but to dedicate my blog to helping others design their handmade home.

Follow my blog and you will learn about handmade artists, do it yourself craft projects, interior design advise and much more! You can also find me on. Twitter and Facebook.

Have a nice day!

Alison Nieman

Interior Designer

The Larson Room

The following La-Z-Boy products can be put together to make a wonderful room. The main sofa is called the Larsen. You can have style with reclining furniture.

A Total Room: Finding Shabby Chic on Etsy

A Total Room: Shabby Chic

Lately I have been posting just some items that I feel are neat design accents sold on Etsy. For some people that doesn’t help them with the whole picture. That is why I am starting a new series with styles and using some Etsy only items together in rooms.

The first room is Shabby chic. Shabby Chic from my perspective is a simplified

attit

ude toward country. It is based on whites and creams then bring colors in

in accents. When picking your accent colors, pick three colors. One will be the dominant one in this example it is pink. The next two add interest by putting them in subtly, that way they do not fight with the main color and cause confusion. Simple is best in a shabby chic room.

Lets start with the headboard:

Add some solid white bed linens:

Layer with pillows:

Some white:

Some Cream:

Don’t be afriad to use So called kitchen furniture in your bed room:

Like this piece:

Everyone needs a mirror in the bedroom:

Every room needs lighting:

And then build with colorful accessories:

Like a hook for your bath rob:

Some decorative hat boxes:

And tie it all together with a little love:

I would love to hear you comments and feedback!

Being an Interior Designer vs. Being a Sales Man

Over the course of the past couple months I have realized, that although I am a pretty good sales person I enjoy being a designer more. For every customer that I work with, I am liking more and more the ones that ask me to help them with their entire space.

One chair although they are great chairs and sometimes you can really make someone's day fitting them with the best chair for their needs can be very rewarding. But I find that I am more rewarded when I am working on a long term project.

Working with someone for an hour to find them a great chair or love seat or recliner is a short term gratification. It's wonderful making a sale, it means that I am making money and who doesn't love money. I would like to make money and have long term gratification at the same time.

I am beginning to feel that selling on a commission scale only results in short term gratification and that without building great report with a customer who wants more from you than to be done with you and onto their next stop of the day. I wait for the customers who actually want my opinion on design and functionality of their entire space.

If you are looking for someone who is interested in your whole room, your entire living space, within your spending plan, please come and see me at the La-Z-Boy in Fairlawn Ohio at the corner of Cleveland Massolin and West Market Street. I would love the privilege to help you make your house a home.

Ask for Alison!!

The Larsen Room Design By Alison Nieman

The following La-Z-Boy products can be put together to make a wonderful room. The main sofa is called the Larsen. You can have style with reclining furniture.

First Week At La-Z-Boy

This first week of training at La-Z-Boy has been wonderful! I can certainly say that I am enjoying my job. La-Z-Boy is sooo much more than I expected it to be. They offer more than just recliners. The showroom that I am training in is full beautiful vignettes of a variety room settings. They also offer a complimentary in-home design service. Very cool!

There is quite a bit to learn and my training has been intense. I have never been through a more thorough training at any of my jobs. (Its kinda ironic how I went from a job with little to no training at all to one that has the most I have ever had in my life). Already with one week under my belt I am more confident about my career than I have ever been before.

I sincerely believe that things really do happen for a reason. I left Dillard's finally went to a job I wasn't that great at and now am finding my career. I have so much more drive as well. Drive to make myself the best.

A couple of weeks ago I was very gun ho on my crochet business. I still love to crochet but with this full time career I will not have the time to devote to my crocheting. That is why I have decided to change my outlook on ANiemanCrochet. I may in the future focus on it again but now I feel is not the time for it. It will be my extra income and my hobby once again.

This leads me to my Inventory Reduction Sale! All my scarves are 50% off. I have free shipping on all my snowflake ornaments. I will slowly be adding more items to my shop's sale section. Please check out these items, there are some great deals.

I will be starting at the West Akron La-Z-Boy store in march and I invite you to come see me. I am more that excited to aid you in your furniture planning and purchasing. I will also be putting interesting stores, special events and design ideas on my blog throughout my time at La-Z-Boy!

Happy VDay!
~Alison Nieman
Your new La-Z-Boy Sales Design Consultant!

New Job: Back into the Design World at Last!!!

After a month and a half of searching and interviews I have finally landed a job! Not only did I find a job it is a job where I can use my talents and my education.

For those of you who do not know, I have a degree from Ohio State University in Textiles and Clothing with a focus in Interior Design. My first job out of college was with Dillard's in the home store and slowly I have been moving away from my love and passion of design. I ended up in an administrative assistant position that didn't work out.

My being let go from this position was a blessing in disguise. Not only did it give me a wake up call to the way the world works but it led me to a position that I am so excited to start. I will be working as a sales associate at La-Z-Boy. I will be back into the design business. Although I will not be working as a designer per say I can actually use my degree and knowledge in this position. There is also room within this company to move into an in store designer position( yes La-Z-Boy carries in store designer, I had no idea.)

I have a week and a half till I start my training and I cannot wait. I feel like a giddy school girl. Of course there are drawbacks to a sales position, like working weekends and working till 9 pm some nights, but it will be worth it.

I have been going through all my industry magazines and my text books, organizing everything so that I can access all my resources and a moments notice. Which brings me to my next thought; I will be starting to blog more about design.

Lately my bog has been dominate by my crocheting and has barely held any topics about design, my first love. This will change. Although I still love my crocheting and will keep at my Etsy Shop, I will no longer make it my only concentration. I think I put crocheting first and not design. Now I have a renewal of my design passion and have discovered that crocheting is more of a hobby and a side business. My career is design.

It took me a while to figure this out and I think I have more clarity in my life becasue of it. Crocheting will always be there, like a comforting security blanket. But I need to put more energy in my design.

Along with changes to the topics in my blog, look for changes in my Etsy shop. Interior Design will be my main focus in all that I do. I would like to offer design news, advice and answer your questions. Please feel free to comment on my blog and ask my advice on projects. Also once I start at La-Z-Boy I will post my store location and invite all of you to come shop with me!

I am so happy right now I can hardly hold it in! I hope everyone finds what makes them happy!
Have a Wonderful Day!