The Artful Dwelling

Storytelling Through Design

I love stories. I am a self-admitted Pollyanna. I have been wandering lately through a lot of different stories. I have also been inspired by many different mediums, photography, wood, metal, jewelry, fabric, and lots of other things.

I just had the experience of a lifetime, and one to check off the bucket list. I just got back from South Africa. I have wanted to go to Africa since I was very little. I have traveled outside the US before, but going to South Africa made my mind explode. So many stories in that country, good and bad. I witnessed so much that colors my world now.

I saw a giraffe hiding in the trees as I caught air on an ATV. I felt the giant, slimy, pink tongues of elephants as I fed them. I got wet from the spray that comes out their trunks as they get mad when you walk away from giving them snacks. I saw the truest color of tawny, tawny lions as they walked silently through the same color tawny grass and cross the road about 20 yards from us. I saw a very non-attractive wildebeast, stand by himself, stomp and snort at the lions passing by, like "I see you wandering towards my herd, STOP IT". I witnessed tribal workers in our hotel protest being treated horribly by another ethnic group-but their protest was not violent, it was joyous, vibrant, resilient, and wonderfully musical. I witnessed prejudice towards us, American white people-story was because the local platinum mine had shot workers protesting to get more wages. The same local mine is sponsoring my new found friend's daughter to come to America to college.  Flew down the longest zip line and felt like I was actually flying like a bird. Cried when I left this amazing country and my new found friend wondering how she was going to make it when she kissed her daughter goodbye to go to a city, Washington DC, when she did not even know where it is. I got to put my hands on fantastic hand-made, local products that I want to bring to the United States.  

How do I weave such stories into people's homes and lives? It's such an honor and pleasure to have this challenge, and offer my gifts and talents to do so. I've got so many ideas, projects, products to show you! I get rather hyper about it. It's all about listening, listening to a person or a families story and translating that into colors, accessories, furniture, art, rugs, and lots of other ideas.

You'll get to see more of what I have found on various media-on this blog, facebook as Dwell Nashville, Zazzle as The Artful Dwelling, Pinterest as Dwell Nashville, and The Artful Dwelling. My story has lots of facets, so I have a couple of alias' floating around.

If you'd like me to be involved in your story and your home, please email or call me. I would love to help.

 

 

Dwell Nashville

Fabulous news! In my last post, I mentioned developing a new brand for my interior design business, and marketing differently. It's all coming together! Dwell Nashville.

I will be offering more products and services to help you create your nest-- through home decor, fashion, heart and soul.

I will be consulting with clients on how to better showcase who they are as people, and help them select products associated with fashion and home decor to let their personality shine through. I'm all into analogies with this right now....I wish to help client's sing their own song, and shine. Everyone can use assistance I think in becoming brave enough to be really comfortable in their own skin. If you are wearing clothes, and living in rooms that really don't fit you and harmonize with who you are as an individual, you might not be as happy or peaceful as you could be. You know when you have a really good hair day, and you have a fantastic clothes that you adore, you feel better! Your home can do that for you also. I think people forget that. That is also why some people move to a different house, they realize their current home doesn't fit them or how their family lives. I can consult with you to find you the right house, create your own nest in it, and help you create the life you want.

My Dwell Nashville team consists of a lot of different women who specialize in a particular service and have come through the same process in life and have that same goal in mind for other people. Rather than just selling a product, or building a house, I really think of my new brand as a giving service to other. Yes, I wish to make money obviously, but the mindset is totally different.

Products can be sold all over the country, so I will be consulting over the interent as well. To help people understand the concept and visually see 'others' doing this, I am creating fictitious nests on Pinterest. It's so much fun. It's really like playing paperdolls.

Keep following this blog until I have another one up and running. Have you ever wanted to go to Market in Atlanta or High Point and see what it's all about? I will be starting a Dwell Nashville-Trunk Show to bring a little big of market to Nashville.

 

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Westhaven-A Great Family Neighborhood

Fashion and Home Design--All in One!

I am having a blast! I am doing what I used to love to do as a child--play paperdolls, and make believe! With interior design though, not imaginary friends or dolls--but just as fun. 

 I am very excited to offer complete room designs that reflect a particular aesthetic or scheme and a name to help the consumer understand where I am going with the design and also to be a little funny. As a consumer or client, you can call up and say, "I would like to buy Zsa Zsa's bedroom" or "I would like to buy Fitzgerald's study, but I would like a less expensive desk". Along with designer products, you will find name brand lines that you can purchase locally, paint swatches, wallpaper, countertops, etc. All the room designs are Pinterest! So easy and user friendly. 

The beauty and ease of this is that I can work in sweat pants, or if you are in Nashville I can bring it all to you, consult with anyone in the country by phone and email, and I can change products to fit your budget. You can also purchase "the look" with the exact paint swatch numbers, and related product item numbers for a flat fee if you feel so inclined to do all the leg work and purchasing yourself. I can work it however you would like to do so and within any budget. You can say, I want "the Gayle bedroom" look but I would like to purchase everything at Target! Or I can deliver to your door a custom bed designed and made just for you.

Stay in touch  Go onto Pinterest, look me up, http://pinterest.com/parrottpat/boards/, and have a peek. Are you more like Gayle or Denise? If you would like to submit a fictitous "person" that needs a design, just email me and I will put a board for that "person". It's like a design game and paperdolls all rolled into one.

Soon I will be announcing a new 'brand' name for this part of my business and offerings. I will be offering styling for the whole person-fashion and home! i.e. if you like "Gayle's bedroom", you will also see clothing and accessories for "Gayle" also.

Feel free to email me now if you would like me to create your own look for you!

 

 

 

Modern, Mountain Lake Retreat For Sale-Lake Lanier

This is one of my former projects that is so special to me. It's my second home. I wanted to buy a lake house on Lake Lanier as a respite from normal life and to be whisked away to a very special place. I knew it was "the one" as soon as I set foot in the house.

One of the reasons I love this house is because you feel like you are so far away from Atlanta--but you're really not. It's all intersate to within 5 minutes of the house. North Lake, to me at least, is so much better than South Lake. It's not as crowded, you can scoot around Gainesville very easily without a lot of traffic, and you have the view and feel of the amazing North Georgia Mountains. It really feels like you have been transported to a real retreat--not a neighborhood with houses close together that happen to be on a lake.

The minute I turn my car into the driveway, I take in a breath and sigh really big--it's so private, so peaceful, and so charming. There is a farmers market nearby, and a neat grocery store within 10 minutes. It is convenient to everything. Don't let the Lula address fool you. This is unlike other house on South Lake.

Totally renovated to evoke more feelings of the mountains, but a little modern and chic too, it's ready to be that place for someone else. Take a look!

http://www.coldwellbankeratlanta.com/property/details/1522195/MLS-5084924/4107-Cagle-Road-Lula-GA-30554.aspx

Here is the listing agent's website: http://www.housesonlanier.net/

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Lake Lanier Looking Good

Modern, Mountain Lake Retreat For Sale-Lake Lanier

This is one of my former projects that is so special to me. It's my second home. I wanted to buy a lake house on Lake Lanier as a respite from normal life and to be whisked away to a very special place. I knew it was "the one" as soon as I set foot in the house.

One of the reasons I love this house is because you feel like you are so far away from Atlanta--but you're really not. It's all intersate to within 5 minutes of the house. North Lake, to me at least, is so much better than South Lake. It's not as crowded, you can scoot around Gainesville very easily without a lot of traffic, and you have the view and feel of the amazing North Georgia Mountains. It really feels like you have been transported to a real retreat--not a neighborhood with houses close together that happen to be on a lake.

The minute I turn my car into the driveway, I take in a breath and sigh really big--it's so private, so peaceful, and so charming. There is a farmers market nearby, and a neat grocery store within 10 minutes. It is convenient to everything. Don't let the Lula address fool you. This is unlike other house on South Lake.

Totally renovated to evoke more feelings of the mountains, but a little modern and chic too, it's ready to be that place for someone else. Take a look!

http://www.coldwellbankeratlanta.com/property/details/1522195/MLS-5084924/4107-Cagle-Road-Lula-GA-30554.aspx

Here is the listing agent's website: http://www.housesonlanier.net/

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Lake Lanier Looking Good

All Over Again

We have finally, maybe found our next house. I have been considering all different locations around Nashville and Williamson County, but I do dearly love the west side of Franklin. We have found ourselves looking at a Brady Bunch house that needs me! I just drew the floor plan of the entire upstairs in my design software. I'm already taking out walls and seeing how it would flow.

We have not made an offer yet. We do have to sell a house before all this can happen, but I can dream. I do want to go back and just sit on the land, and get the 'feel' of it. For me, the emotional woman buyer, it's about the feel of a place. I want to see nature, not neighbors, and have a relaxing environment, not a busy neighborhood one.

This is a classic case of "everyone else is scared of this house but me". It has been on the market 9 months I believe, with no offers. Even though it needs an overhaul inside, what makes it a great deal are: all the major systems have been replaced in the last year or so, including roof, HVAC, double pane windows, and all the plumbing and major electrical equipment and appliances could stay in the same place--if I want them too. Maybe I want to change where they are...don't quite know yet. I can tell which walls are load bearing, so I can easily see what I can take down.

I can't show you pictures yet because it's not a done deal, but let's just say...it is a true 70's split level with wrought iron, white railings inside, the most ornate 70's bathroom cabinets I have ever seen, gold faucets, and a mustard yellow master bath. My kind of gem!

I'll keep you posted!If you need help finding a gem or renovating one in Nashville, give me a call.

Deer in the Living Room

My latest obsession for a new house to renovate when our's sells is one of those gems that other people probably don't see as a gem! It's on 2 acres, in a great part of Nashville to recoup your money and flip, has the space to easily open up rooms and make the kitchen bigger. It has been for sale for a while--one of the reasons just might be the large deer statue that is in the living room. It's bronze, fairly large, with antlers, and just looks into the dining room. As a buyer, you really got to look past some things. I will keep you posted. If this goes my way, should be as interesting as The Lake House Tale. The house hasn't been touched since 1971--has some really cool 70's fireplaces in it!

Lake Renovation

My beloved Lake House, a modern, mountain and lake retreat near Atlanta, is for sale. Renovating this house long distance in only 6 weeks was such a rush. It has had two fantastic rental years, and it's time for someone else to enjoy this house and or use it as a vacation rental home. Some of the things in here I did so inexpensively and some items I spend a lot of money on. Take a peek!

http://housesonlanier.net/Properties/4107_Cagle/4107Cagle.htm

The Artful Dwelling Store

It's market time! I get really excited when I see all the emails and postcards coming about new product introductions for the Home Furnishings Market in Atlanta. It starts next week. I have put together on Pinterest my virtual store with items that I love from some of my favorite showrooms. You can email me to ask questions, tell me what you would like to find, or order directly from me. I am working on some of my own products right now as well! I also have boards on Pinterest that highlight different design styles and the accessories, home design, and furniture that go with that style.

I've got a lot going on, so stay posted!My facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/PropertyChick, is nearly 1000 likes, so please go 'like' it if you have not. You will find more tips on real estate, buying, selling, and investing.

 http://pinterest.com/parrottpat/artful-dwelling-store/

 

 

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Contractor, Contractor, You Are Not All The Same!

Contractor, Contractor, You Are Not All The Same!

Case in point: potential client has a bid from a contractor. She told me what his bid was. I thought it was high myself. I went and priced it . Low and behold, my price was significantly less than what she got quoted! "Why?" do you say? I know how this industry works and I know the shortcuts. When you get a bid from a contractor, you always have to ask: How do they get paid, percentage or flat project fee? What work do they do themselves, and what do they use other subs for? Do you mark up materials?

BE BLUNT! DO NOT ACCEPT a bid without knowing exactly what they are going to build--every element is called out and measurements are included. This contractor either did not know how to get something less expensively, (doubt it!), or decided to mark it up a heck of a lot banking on the fact that the customer would not know how things work in his industry for this particular product. He probably did not even consider that someone else might come by and educate the client! One hour of my time just saved the client about $1000.00, and I brought up issues about measurements that the client nor the contractor apparently considered. Can you imagine the "oops"!