The Finishing Touch Interior Design Group

SPECIAL EVENT THIS SATURDAY!

2011-11-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

There is so much going on in Downtown Roseville THIS SATURDAY, November 19, 2011!

3:00 PM Sylvia Besana Annual Holiday Parade

Start the holiday season off this year with the 50th Annual Sylvia Besana Holiday Parade on Saturday, Nov. 19. The parade begins at 3 p.m. at the Riverside/Douglas/Vernon intersection, proceeds along Vernon Street, continues on to Folsom Road and ends at the Roseville Square Shopping Center.

6:30 PM Tree Lighting Ceremony

Following the parade, don’t miss the annual Christmas Tree Lighting! Enjoy holiday fun, music, entertainment and craft shopping at this annual party. Watch the Mayor and friends flip the switch to light the City’s official Christmas Tree outside the Civic Center, 311 Vernon Street, at 6:30 p.m. Many merchants on Vernon Street will have their stores decorated for the holidays, and will stay open late for shoppers.

6:00pm-9:00pm 3^rd Saturday Art Walk at our Design Studio

426 Vernon Street Roseville CA 95678

(916) 877-5040

This month we are featuring the original artwork of Susan Mitchell Van Slyke in our art “galley”. Stop by to see some amazing local talent and purchase an original piece for your home. We will have live music and light refreshments.

7:30PM Interior Design Presentation at our Design Studio

426 Vernon Street Roseville CA 95678

Interior Designers Gayla Heggen & Ruth Priscaro will take one of Susan Mitchell Van Slyke’s paintings and demonstrate how design a room around the artwork. Come by and learn some tips and tricks from the pros.

Bamboo Sheets - The ULTIMATE in Luxury Bedding!

2011-11-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

Recently we have discovered a new type of bed sheets that have quickly become

our absolute new favorite...Bamboo Sheets!

WOW! These sheets are these the ultimate in luxury bedding!

I usually have several questions asked of me when I talk about Bamboo bedding with people. Here are a few:

Question:     Are the sheets scratchy?
Answer: No. Bamboo sheets are incredibly soft and are surprisingly heavier that cotton sheets. The 250 thread count sheets have the feel of an 800 tread count cotton sheet...only much softer!

Question:     Why are these a better "green" and renewable product than cotton?
Answer:       Bamboo can grow up to 1 foot per day making it a highly renewable source.

Question:     Are the bamboo sheets I find in other stores just as good as the ones you sell?
Answer:      Well, that depends. Not all bamboo sheets are created equal. Only the sheets that are 100% bamboo provide all of the incredible benefits of bamboo that are not found in a blended product. Once bamboo has been mixed with cotton (or another fiber) it does not perform the same way. Of course a 100% bamboo product will cost more than a blended product.

Here are some of the features & benefits of bamboo bedding:

Bamboo has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.

There are no pesticides used with bamboo. It has its own natural resistance to bacteria and is hypoallergenic.

Bamboo has strong insulating properties, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Bamboo is naturally absorbent. It wicks away moisture, breathes better then cotton and keeps you cooler.

Bamboo sheets are a long term investment. They will maintain their soft feel for many years to come.

Sheet Sets come in so many colors: White, Ivory, Silver Birch, Sky, Grass, Lotus, Hemp, Copper, Sable, Sea Grass

Quilted shams and coverlets are also available in 100% Bamboo in all the same colors as the sheet sets. You may choose from a box quilting or a brick quilting (shown at the top of this blog post).

Call today to order a set for your bed and sleep in true luxury & comfort! (916) 877-5040

We have special pricing available through 12/31/11!

Here is some additional information on Bamboo directly from the manufacturer:

Bamboo fiber is 100% made from bamboo through a high-tech process.
The raw material bamboo is selected from non-polluted areas in Asia.
The whole distilling and production process produces natural and ecofriendly
fiber without any chemical additives. Bamboo fiber is also a unique
biodegradable textile material. As a natural cellulose fiber it can be
100% biodegraded in soil by microorganisms and sunshine.
It is a common fact that bamboo can thrive naturally without using
pesticide. Scientists have found that bamboo owns a unique anti-bacteria
and bacteriostatic bio-agent. This substance is combined with bamboo
cellulose during the process of being manufactured into bamboo fiber
resulting in a naturally antibacterial fabric. This antibacterial property
means fabrics stay fresh and keeps away odor causing bacteria. It is
proven that wash after wash, bamboo fiber fabric still possesses excellent
function of antibacteria. Bamboo fiber’s natural anti-bacteria does not
cause skin allergy as can sometimes happen with chemical antimicrobial .
Another benefit of bamboo fiber is its unusual ability to breathe and
ventilate. A cross-section of the bamboo fiber will show that it is filled with
various micro-gaps and micro-holes, giving excellent moisture absorption
and ventilation. With this unparalleled micro-structure, bamboo fiber
fabrics can absorb and evaporate moisture in a split second, making
people feel extremely cool and comfortable in the hot summer.
Bamboo fabrics are made from pure bamboo fiber yarns which have
excellent wet permeability, moisture vapor transmission property, superior
strength and durability over time, soft and comfortable hand, better
drape, easy dying, and splendid colors. It is a newly founded, great
prospective green fabric. Bamboo fiber is praised as " the natural, green
and eco-friendly new-type textile material of 21st century" .

Don't miss the 3rd Saturday Art Walk in downtown Roseville this Saturday!

2011-05-17T02:36:00.000-07:00

Come out this Saturday for the 3rd Saturday Art Walk. We have a local artist on display for a 2 month rotation. Our second artist, Terry Dougherty has her work on display in our art "galley". All of her pieces are beautiful and well priced. Take home some local art that very night! You will want to see her art in person. It is truly stunning and I expect several of her pieces to sell quickly.

Here's a sneak peek...

The camera does not capture the true beauty of the art. You will have to see it in person to truly appreciate it.

Also on display again this month is 8 year old Ethan Taylor. He is already well on his way to being an accomplished artist!

For more information on the other venues that will participate in the 3rd Saturday Art Walk, check out this site: http://www.3rdsatartwalk.com/

Transformations was featured in the Roseville Press Tribune today! What an honor!

2011-05-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

Our group was just featured in the Roseville Press Tribune today. Read our story here to see how we all got started together:
http://rosevillept.com/detail/178371.html?content_source&category_id&search_filter=transformations&user_id&event_mode&event_ts_from&event_ts_to&list_type&order_by&order_sort&content_class=1&sub_type=stories&town_id

Also, the weather has finally been nice enough to share with you the exterior pictures. The front windows of the shop were designed to be 2 sided...1 design facing in and 1 design facing out. Hope you can see through the glare of the window. If not...you'll just have to come see us in person!

Another beautiful design by Rebecca Ward

2011-03-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

Once again I had the privilege of working on a project with Rebecca Ward. Rebecca did the design, I did the fabrication. This time I did not attend the install, but thought you would like to see the finished product. Simple and beautiful!

The Finishing Touch Interior Design Studio Grand Opening

2011-03-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the official grand opening of The Finishing Touch Interior Design Studio. We had such a great turn out! It was wall to wall people for about 2 1/2 hours. Our photographer had to leave suddenly so thankfully I had my little snapshot camera and my husband was able to grab a few shots during a rare slow moment!

One of my client's brought along her fabric samples and is showing some of our guests the beautiful designs we came up with for her house.

My friend Sheri Brunnquell with Silpada Jewelry came to show her support.

Before the night's festivities began, I was able to take a few updated shots of the studio.

This grand window treatment is called a Moreland Valance and has interlined side panels.

The back wall of the studio was faux finished in a metallic plaster by Kelly Peterson of Layers of Color. 7 layers and 14 hours went into creating this beautiful masterpiece of a wall. It was a labor of love!

Sharing my design studio is Marc Connerly of Custom Reflections. Mark can custom make a beautiful mirror with high end moldings or retrofit your existing mirrors. He also frames art.


These 2 custom made ottomans are on display in my studio and are for sale.

At the end of the night, we raffled off this beautiful gift basket. Our winner was Rhoda Kieth! Thanks to all our guests who showed up on a very windy and rainy day to support our joint venture.

I don't believe I've mentioned that our studio is a joint venture with 5 different businesses involved. I already mentioned Marc Connerly of Custom Reflections. The other members of our group are Stephanie Sherwood: Co-Founder of The BAM Project, Barbara Wilber: Co-Founder of The BAM Project and owner of Barbara Wilber.com coaching and Kelly Peterson: Owner of Layers of Color.

Stop by 426 Vernon Street Roseville CA 95678 to meet all of the wonderful members of the "Transformations" group.

A successful installation with Rebecca Ward of Rebecca Ward Design

2011-03-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

I just love partnering with other talented designers to bring a project to life. Last week, I assisted Rebecca Ward of Rebecca Ward Designs on a design project installation. Rebecca came up with the beautiful designs, I assisted her by making custom pillows and upholstered dining chair and stool cushions. Here are the pics of her finished project (and one of me installing the seat cushions).


Happy Designer...Happy Client.

Be sure to check out Rebecca Ward's blog to see more of the design process.
http://rebeccawarddesign.blogspot.com/2011/03/vision-comes-to-life.html
http://rebeccawarddesign.blogspot.com/2011/03/behind-scenes.html
She has some great before and after shots up as well.
http://rebeccawarddesign.blogspot.com/2011/03/before-and-after.html

The new Studio is open.

2011-02-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

On February 1st we opened up our first design studio after being in business nearly 10 years! It has been many years in the making and we are so proud to have our doors open to serve Sacramento and Placer county residents in old town Roseville. Our new permanent location is at 426 Vernon Street Roseville CA 95678.

The building had been vacant for nearly 1 year when my good friend Kelly Peterson with Layers of Color discovered it. Here it is back in December when we were just entertaining the idea of moving in...we had not yet fixed it up to be our own yet.

After moving in, we began working immediately to get it ready to meet with clients. First order of business, remove the old vertical blinds hanging in the window, paint the walls and set up the mini bed display.

Next we brought in sample books, set up a desk to meet with clients and set up a small product display.

Then we brought in all of the fabric & trim sample books along with the Hunter Douglas & B&W Window Fashions sample books.

It's just a start, but I think it will do for now!

I just LOVE motorization! Especially over the bath tub.

2010-11-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

Do you have a window over your bathtub? Most homes do these days. Have you ever been caught...unsure of how you will get yourself out of a potentially embarrassing moment? If you had a motorized window treatment over that bathtub, you could rest assured that none of your nosy neighbors would catch a glimpse of things they should never see!

For my client this month, we started with a decorative balloon valance, embellished with a tassel trim.

Hidden behind the valance was a simple, yet effective, motorized roman shade.

Check out this video of the product in action (Please excuse my amateur videography. Next time, I will be using a tripod for sure!)

Kitchen cabinet accessories

2010-08-08T00:13:00.000-07:00

A while back I worked on a kitchen cabinet accessory project for a client. It was actually the beginning of my venture in expanding my offerings to include custom accessory pieces. Here are the finished pics of her beautiful kitchen cabinet accessories.

Prior to accessorizing the cabinets, this room looked bare and unfinished. By simply adding these accessories, we were able to make the room feel complete and personalized to suit my client's taste.

A few recent projects...

2010-08-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

This has already been a very eventful summer for me. There were several projects on my plate that were all coming due at about the same time. They have all been completed, but I have been too busy getting the work out that I have not had the chance to blog about my work. For now, I thought I would share with you some of the pictures from recent projects and a little bit of information about each of them. Enjoy!

In this beautiful dining room, I added the embroidered faux silk panels and custom drapery hardware. Next on the agenda for this room is to add a silk or velvet cord cover for the beautiful light fixture. This will allow us to conceal the chain
and dress up the look of this already lovely dining room.

A balloon valance with necktie jabots inspired by one of my favorite window treatment books

(The Design Directory of Window Treatments by Jackie Von Tobel).

This very LONG and very beautiful cuff-top valance spans over 100"

and truly finishes off this otherwise bare window.

We used a blue and yellow twisted cored at the bottom of the treatment which allowed the beautiful bell shape to really stand out. Little details really do make a big difference.

This pair of roman shades have attached valances to conceal the operating hardware.

This method makes it easier to operate the shade because the lift cord

is placed in front of the shades.

I worked on this project with Interior Designer Laurie Souza for her client's nursery. Notice the extra ruffle at the bottom of the valance as well as the shaped tiebacks on the side panels.

Hourglass panels with shaped, gathered valances and shaped tiebacks.

Also worked on with Interior Designer,

Laurie Souza.

Lastly, this woven wood shade (above) and Averte Natural Fold Drapery (right) was added to a client's beach house. Because of the distance, the client carefully took her own measurements and then took some samples to the beach house to make her selections. She and her husband did the installation and were kind enough to send me pictures of the completed project.

Hopefully, we will have more pictures of this beautiful home to share in the near future.

Also, I hope to have the opportunity to go see the beach house in person. For now, I'm happy to share in the joy of making it a comfortable, cozy retreat that my clients can enjoy for years to come.

New Accessories in Stock

2010-06-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

I just received a shipment of beautiful accessories from Uttermost that are available for immediate purchase. They have beautiful home accessories, mirrors, lamps, light fixtures, artwork, botanicals, clocks and accent furniture. Take a look at their website and let me know if you see something that you like. All of these items shown on this blog post are making my home beautiful at the moment, but they could be yours. Call me at (916) 804-1550 for pricing or to set an appointment to come by and see the beautiful new pieces.

Amarion 32" Table Lamp

Karika Book Ends

Karika Finial

Dannon Candle Holder (25" high)

Lineas Charger

More to come in the future...

Living Room Re-Design

2010-06-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I have the privilege of assisting a client re-design a room. This is the room before the amazing transformation:

First order of business...decide on the new color scheme. We went with a neutral backdrop with bright orange and chartreuse green accents throughout the room. The client pulled me into this project after selecting her new sofa, chair and end table at Ethan Allen. (Just an FYI for all my clients, if you need assistance with your furniture selection, I am happy to help you in that process as well.) I put together a group of custom pillows in her new color scheme to liven up the room.

Together we came up with a new space plan as we needed to be certain there was enough room for all the items we would be adding to this room. On our list was: new coffee table, new dining table & chairs and new end table beside the chase lounge. The bar in the corner we reused from their previous design.

Time for some accessories: Uttermost lamps, fabric coasters to coordinate with the pillows and a few decorative items were added (some by me and some were purchased or already owned by the customer).

The end table we selected beside the chase lounge provided needed storage for items like books and blankets.

The artwork was re-framed to coordinate with the lamp colors. Although this art is primarily blue, we were able to pull the pieces together to work in our new orange and green room. These pieces of art are family heirlooms and it is important to surround yourself with items that you love and have special memories to you. By simply changing out the frames, we were able to tie everything together beautifully.

Here's the new black dining table and slipcovered chairs in chartreuse green to match the pillows. The chair slips have been pre-washed so that they can be laundered in the event of a spill.

We removed the dust covers off of some of my client's beautiful books and used them as decorative accents in the room. Also, I added a small silk fern with orange flowers to this end table.

One of the challenges we encountered in this design process was the coffee table selection. We had a difficult time finding just the right piece. Then when we found the just what we wanted, we found out if was discontinued. Just our luck! Well...our story did not end badly. Here is the sketch of the design we wanted to use in this room. It is an upholstered top with a wooden tray and wooden legs. I was able to have this piece fabricated by an amazing upholster & wood worker right here in Sacramento. The results were stunning! Just what we wanted and we were able to provide our own specifications so it fit the room perfectly!

Here's Moira's new completed room.
One more happy customer and a beautiful space to enjoy
for many years to come!

"Misty is a consummate professional. She is creative, intuitive and artful, creating a space that matches the imagination of her client’s. She does what she says she will on time and on budget."

~Moira Little

Woven Woods add warmth

2010-06-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

Recently I changed out a small window in my family room from a simple, white faux wood blind to a beautiful, warm, rich woven wood shade. The pictures speak for themselves...what a difference a small change like this can make to a room.
Next on the list for this room...paint then new flooring. I can see it now. It will be stunning!

What have you done to liven up a room in your home lately? Share your pics with me. I'd love to see what you've been up to.

Custom Furniture

2010-04-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Recently, The Finishing Touch has branched out and is now offering fully customizable furniture! Here are some of the beautiful pieces I have added to customers homes recently:

This is the Dagmar Chair by Highland House.We used this chair frame and added our own fabrics to match the client's home and taste.

Here is the client's chair in her home with her beautiful custom fabric selection.

We are still playing with the furniture layout. Notice the cut paper on the floor. This is the footprint for a chair that we will be adding. For some clients I will do a room layout sketch, but I've found that some clients still have a difficult time visualizing how it will look in their space. Using paper to cut out the footprint of a chair allows us to easily move it around the room to be certain we can make all of the pieces fit.(By the way...notice the red pillow in the chair? This is a sample we are looking at for size. No need for you to worry! I am not putting a red pillow in this chair. We have decided on a purple or a teal as these are the primary colors we are adding to this room.)

Here's the space planning layout for this room. We are still moving furniture around and I'll be sure to post the finished picture when all pieces are in place.
Next client...

For this client we chose to shop at Thomasville for the furniture, but we applied our custom fabrics to Thomasville's beautiful furniture pieces. This room is also still in process. We are working on accessories for the book shelves as well as tables. More to come...

I just LOVE red furniture!

The possibilities are endless. The following sketches are from a company that we have the ability to alter sizes and features. This is just a small sampling. They have THOUSANDS of custom pieces we can choose from. Enjoy the pics and let me know if you see something that you love!

Design Books

2010-02-24T12:43:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered which design books you should purchase if you are looking to get some inspiration in decorating your home? I am always looking for good design books and specifically I look for books that have beautiful window coverings in them. I have just recently added a "Recommended Books" section to the sidebar of this blog to help you with your book selections. I buy so many design books and some of them are worth keeping. Others...not so much.

Some of my recent favorites are by Betty Lou Phillips. Her style is French/Italian/Tuscan and her work is superb! I love to look through her books to draw inspiration when working on a high end project for a client.

Take a look at the books to the right. You may find some great new books to add to your collection. Or, you could always hire me to come out and bring you these beautiful designs to review together in your own home.

Just a thought...

Roman Shades with Ribs

2010-02-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

Roman Shades are such a beautiful and popular window treatment that are getting so much attention in the media these days because of their potential for children to become tangled in the cords. I'd like to show you some beautiful roman shades I've recently completed for a client as well as show you some critical safety features of these shades (especially if you have little ones in the house).

With these shades, I experimented with a new fabrication technique using clear roman shade bars instead of my regular fabrication techniques [(1) hand sewing rings on the back, or (2) sewing a narrow slat on the back and inserting grommets for the cords to pass through]. The effect was a very clean look from both the front and the back of the shade. This fabric was a very light weight, opaque fabric that acted very much like a sheer and I was amazed at how beautiful the finished product turned out.

Here's the view from outside the home.

A critical piece in the aesthetics of this shade is adding a "back valance" to conceal the clutch hardware. Since these shades are unlined we used the same fabric. If they were lined, we would have used the lining fabric so that everything would blend together when looking at the shade from outside.

Here's a peek under the back valance to show the clutch tube we are concealing. The tube has been painted white to blend in with the lining on the board, however it is still unattractive if left uncovered (especially from the front of a home).

Since I had never used the clear roman shade bars in the past, I made up a test sample in my studio prior to fabricating the client's shades. I also made a sample the way I normally would to compare which would be better.

Here they are side by side:
The shade on the left is made with the clear roman shade bars and a clutch system. The shade on the right is made with a simple cord lock and sewn slats with grommets added for the cords to go through.

Here's a closer look at the cord lock:
An important safety consideration with a cord lock is that the cord grows longer and longer as you raise up the shade. You need to be diligent to wrap the cord around a cord cleat so that children and pets do not get tangled up on the cords. I almost NEVER use this technique any longer as I feel that the clutch system is far superior in operation and safety.

Here's a closer look at the clutch system (the red clamp is not part of the shade): In this picture, the tube is not covered by a back valance or painted white like I would normally do, but I wanted you to see it more clearly. To operate this shade, you simply pull the bead chain on the side (which is a continuous loop) and the shade cords wrap around the tube. With this method, there are no long dangling cords to worry about.

A critical safety feature of the clutch shades is some type of tie down for your bead chain. There are several different types of tie downs, but the main point is that the cord should not be allowed to hang freely where once again a child or pet could become tangled up in it. Often I will make the bead chains MUCH shorter than the window we are treating so that they are high above the heads of small children.

One final safety feature I want to bring to your attention is an orb that holds the lift cords on the back of the shade. I ALWAYS use these in my roman shades now because they will fall off the shade if a child or pet gets tangled in the cords on the back of the shade which will allow the cord to dangle freely and independently. This is an added safety feature that I feel is critically important to my clients.

(Here's a closer look at the orbs I use.)

Many retailers have pulled roman shades off of their shelves because they can not see the homes or locations that these shades are used in. Many of them have not included any of the safety features I have mentioned to protect children and pets. When you work with a designer or decorator, they will typically come to your home and analyze the appropriateness of a roman shade in your home. For example, I would NEVER put a roman shade with a cord lock over a child's bed. Never. It's just not a safe location for this type of treatment. When you purchase a roman shade from a mail order company, that company has no way to know where you are putting this shade and can not make recommendations to you about safety.

We will have to wait and see what changes are in store for us regarding the manufacturing of roman shades. For now, this appear to be appropriately safe (in my humble opinion). Roman shades continue to be a very popular form of window covering and I hope they will continue to be in the future. As an industry, we are working on methods to make roman shades "cord free". For now, a beautiful alternative to the roman shade is a roller shade which can be made out of many beautiful fabrics.

If you have any additional questions about roman shade safety or need an in home consultation to ensure that you are properly protected, give me a call at (916) 804-1550.

Moving Forward

2010-02-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

We are well into February 2010 and I've just realized my last post was in October 2009! Wow...time can fly by so fast.

You may think I've been up to nothing at all, but several exciting new ventures have been keeping me away from my computer over these past few months (including spending some much needed time with my family).

It all started in October when I taught my first class on Bedding Design to a group of professionals in Concord. In this class we discussed the fundamentals of bedding design and I revealed the 7 bedding packages I have assembled for my clients. My hope is to simplify the fabric selection process for my clients. Often it can be overwhelming to go through the hundreds of fabrics that I have available, so this process makes the selection process much easier for the client. Simply select your favorite grouping of fabrics and we can build you a beautiful, custom bedding set that will enhance the beauty and comfort of you room.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to teach and look forward to the opportunity to do it again in the future.

In November and December I hosted several open houses featuring Nancy Shores with Gold Canyon Candles and Renee Minyard with Cookie Lee. Both events were a lot of fun and I intend to do this again each year to assist you in your holiday decorating and shopping. At these events I revealed my custom stockings and tree skirts as well as the very popular silk cord covers that can be used all over you home. Since it was Christmas time, our pictures show the cord covers in red, but there are many colors available (Black, Scarlet, Olive, Chocolate, Cashmere).

Silk Cord Covers concealing the cords on a decorative light fixture.

Silk Cord Cover
concealing the cord
on a candle warmer.

I'm not quite ready to fully reveal my apron designs, but in December I was also hard at work designing a line of aprons which I now call "The Girlfriend's Apron". Each one has been designed after one of my friends and although the style is the same, the fabric used in each one represents their unique personalities. Look for the reveal in the months ahead, but here's a little preview of some of the fabrics used...

There are 7 fabrics in all, but that's enough of a tease for now!

Lastly, I just attended my first home show and had such a great time. As a small business owner I wondered if it would be wise to put together a booth at a home show or if I would get lost amidst the hundreds of other vendors. To my surprise, I had quite a bit of attention and was able to connect with several new potential clients. At this show I was able to showcase one of my bedding packages that is now available for purchase. Take a look at the mini bed in the picture and let me know if you want more information about how you may purchase this bedding ensemble for yourself. This one is called "Woodland".
It's been a busy few months and I hope you forgive me for my quietness on this blog. As you can see, The Finishing Touch has been up to so much over the past few months. We're excited to bring you along with us for what's in store for 2010!

How to Fold a Fitted Sheet

2009-10-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Recently I was contacted by Fox 40 with a request to help them with a potential story on how to properly fold a fitted sheet. In my uncertainty of my level of expertise on the subject, I hesitated in returning the message until I could check to see if the way I fold fitted sheets is "the best way". Now I do realize that there are many ways to go about things and there may not be just one "best way", however when it comes to the subject of folding fitted sheets, I have found the way that Mom taught me years ago is probably the best way anyone has thought of (to date). This method has been confirmed on the Martha Stewart website (and if anyone knows the proper way to do anything, I believe it is Martha), and I'd like to share it with you.

So...here it is...the proper way to fold a fitted sheet (photos and instructions courtesy of the Martha Stewart website, but I really give the credit to Mom who showed me this method when I was about 9):

There is a foolproof technique for folding a fitted sheet. These instructions are for a right-handed person; just reverse them if you're left-handed.

1. Stand holding the sheet by the two adjacent corners of one of the shorter edges. With the sheet inside out, place one hand in each of these two corners.

2. Bring your right hand to your left, and fold the corner in your right hand over the one in your left, enveloping it. Next, reach down and pick up the corner that is hanging in front; bring it up, and fold it over the two corners in your left hand; the corner that's showing will be inside out.

3. Bring the last corner up, and fold it over the others; with its right side showing, it should envelop the other three corners.

4. Lay the folded sheet on a flat surface and straighten it into the shape shown.

5. Fold the two edges in so all the elastic is hidden.

6. Fold the sheet into a rectangle.

7. Continue folding until the rectangle is the size you want it to be.

From Martha Stewart Living, October 1997

Fox 40 has not yet run the story, but now I'm ready when they are.

Something Old, Something New

2009-07-23T00:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I LOVE getting something new. Especially when it is replacing something old and worn out. Well...call me easy to please, but I just put on my new drapery worktable cover and I am such a happy girl.

I actually bought this new beautiful gridded cover at the end of last year, but had not yet had the time to take apart my old cover and fix up my table. Now that it's done and beautiful, I wonder why I waited.

Well the new cover went on the table just at the right time. Tomorrow I will be cutting out fabric to make 7 large roman shades. The fabric is a bit squirmy so I can't wait to see how much I LOVE working on this gridded surface. Of course it took a little bit of work to get the grids square and the correct size, but in the end I believe it will be well worth it.

So what about you? What are you putting off that will help beautify and simplify your life? Why wait any longer? It's time to get rid of that
old ___???____ and bring in the bright, new version
that will put a smile on your face.

Putting the finishing touches on beautiful bedrooms.

2009-06-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

I don't believe that anyone would argue with the fact that this bedroom is already beautiful. I have the privilege of working with a client who has an amazing eye for design. She purchased the beautiful bedding as well as all of the furniture and art pieces that make this room warm and inviting. She also hired a very talented painter to stencil the walls. My addition to this room are the unique window treatments. They add a richness and warmth to this room,

but something was still missing...

Last Friday, I installed this beautiful bed corona. My client had already moved around some of the furniture to utilize the space more effectively, but the corona really added the finishing touch. Beautiful!

This corona is available through Horchow.
Panels were fabricated by The Finishing Touch.

Again, what a beautiful bedding collection.
Sometimes all that is needed is 1 unique piece to finish it off.

We added these 2 monogrammed pillows to the ready made pillow collection. This added a personal touch to this already beautiful collection.

Monogramming by Touch of Mink
Fabrication by The Finishing Touch
Ready made Bedding available at Horchow.

Simple bedding collection.

Custom bolster added to tie together the window treatments
with the ready made bedding collection.

A beautiful bed in need of custom bedding.

We chose to keep the 3 animal print pillows and the large black
pillow in the back. We added 2 ruffled pillow shams, 2 bolsters,
a fitted coverlet with ruffle and a fitted ruffled bed skirt.

Additionally, we added the simple bed canopy to finish off the room.

The right accessories

2009-06-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what a difference the right accessories can make. Take a look and you'll see what I mean...

BEFORE

AFTER

Custom Floral Arrangement by The Finishing Touch.
Customer provided the vase.

Beautiful candles and candle sticks beside the fireplace
add a sense of romance to this luxurious bathroom retreat.

Pink Girl's Bedroom

2009-06-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last summer we were making the transition with our daughter from toddler bed to "big girl bed". She was starting Kindergarten and being the decorator that I am, I could not stop at just a new bed. A new bed also meant new paint, new window treatments, new custom bedding, new dresser knobs...you get the idea.

One of my favorite elements of this room is the simple bed canopy suspended from the ceiling. The poles have been painted to match the darker wall color
with silver finials by Kirsch added to the ends. Here's a closer look at the swirl ball finial in brushed pewter.

Custom pillows make a big difference.
This picture shows the micro welt detail between the 2 fabrics on the simple pillow case.
Also shown here is the ball fringe on the pink toile pillows.

A pajama pillow for those slumber parties at a friend's house.
Just put your pajamas in this pillow and take it along with you!

I chose a simple tucked and banded Roman shade for the window treatments. We will add a beautiful cornice over these (soon I hope). The lift cord is hidden behind the shade and for safety it is very short. My daughter loves being able to raise and lower her own shade. She climbs up on the toy box and pulls this curtain open all by herself! While completing this project, I found the greatest wall stickers to dress up her walls. They are so easy to apply...and re-apply if you want to move them. They stick to your walls, dressers, lamps, etc but they do not leave behind any sticky residue. Let me know if you want to see any additional styles. I loved mine so much that I opened up an account with this company and have their catalog available for you to select your own styles from!

This really was a very fun and rewarding project. It's rare that I design an entire room...typically it is just windows and bedding, but I am very pleased at the outcome of this project. Kids rooms can be so much fun!

Give me a call today if your have a room re-design project to complete.
I am happy to help!

Misty Trevino
The Finishing Touch
(916) 804-1550

Elephant Brackets add WOW Factor

2009-06-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I installed this window treatment in my client's home.

As you might guess it was a bit tricky to get all of the layers to work together properly, but with a little extra time and planning, all of the pieces went together beautifully.

Prior to fabrication, the client was presented this digital rendering of her window treatment design. We were able to add her fabrics to the sketch to see what the treatment would look like prior to fabrication. This allowed us to make changes quickly and easily if we didn't like what we saw. The finished product looks very much like the original drawing.

We've all heard it said that "The difference is in the details".
The Elephant Brackets frame this treatment perfectly and add character to this African themed room. Also, notice the criss-cross black suede lacing on the valance and wooden ring pull on the roman shade.

Another satisfied customer!

A Dining Room Transformation

2009-05-22T11:15:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I met with a client to install her dining room window treatments. Her daughter is graduating from high school and their home will be filled with family and friends all coming together to celebrate this momentous occasion. Take a look at the before and after pictures to see what a difference soft window treatments can make to a room.

BEFORE

AFTER
We took just a couple extra minutes to move around some of her accessories to tie all of the new colors together and give the room some balance. The customer was VERY PLEASED with the outcome.
Some clients will complete the entire room transformation at once while others will make changes in phases. In our next phase of this room transformation, we will re-upholster the dining room chairs. Then the room will be complete!