Friday, November 21, 2008
White Washing Your Home - Trend Alert
White can be used to create a sophisticated, casual or high fashion look on furniture, upholstery, linens and case goods. It is iconic, pure, crisp and fresh. What is the secret to making this look work in your home. Monochromatic always works by vary lots of textures and shades of the color. If you forget this step, the room falls flat and lacks dimension.
Furniture is sporting white in so many forms: lacquered dressers, burlap covered pieces, distressed decorative finishes, hand rubbed leathers, motifs created with upholstery tacks, tufted sofas, chairs, and ottomans, and white washed finishes.
You will also see white with glam on pillows and upholstery. Look for pearls, rhinestones and crystals. Elvis would be proud! Perhaps not practical for cozying up by the fire, but wow does it look great.
White also is making a comeback in architectural room elements like paneling and cabinetry. I especially covet white distressed paneling for a casual, relaxing feel or beach house.
If you are still not convinced, consider this. White is a great choice to use alongside any color you really want to showcase in your home. A color showcased in white will seem brighter and more special.
Why not try your favorite shade of white this season to brighten up your decor? When your Mom comes over you'll just have to remind her, the rules of labor day are long gone. It is 2008. We don't have rules about color!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Angela is syndicated this November and December
While Portland, Oregon's KXL played a live feed of the Ducks game Saturday, November 1st, Bob Strong Oregon's Home Handyman, and I recorded interior design insider secrets at the studio. These segments broadcasted live outside the Portland metropolitian area on November 1st, and will also be played again in November and December for the Portland market.
You can tune into Around the House with Handyman Bob Strong on Saturdays from 12:oopm to 2:00pm each week. During the months of December we will be covering:
Do-it-yourself Decorating Advice
One Day Room Transformations
How to Choose the Perfect Wall Color
10 Steps to a Smaller Carbon Footprint at Home
Holiday Ideas for Indoor and Outdoor Decorating
Listen to the KXL's 11/8/08 show's full two hours here.

Each week Bob Strong highlights a "really cool tool." On November 1st Bob introduced the Hang and Level Tool, invented by an interior designer, the tool makes hanging artwork simple. To use it, you hold the tool against the wall, hook your picture wire on the tool's hook and push the button. The button makes a pin prick in the wall exactly where to hang your artwork. No measuring, no pain in the you know what. It's straight. Result = Fabulous!
Bob generously gave me the tool following the show. I asked him to autograph the tool - now in Sharpie the side of the tool reads, "Thank you for all of your advice! Bob Strong"
Perhaps when I come to your place for a one day room transformation, or to help you hang artwork, we can use the tool together. You might fall so much in love with it we will have to get you one too!
Here is a goofy video on YouTube about the Hang and Level Tool. It is silly, but an effective point of how (and why) to use the tool.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Put Magic Back into Holiday Gift Giving
Over the years I received many gifts from family I didn't need or want. I was gracious and also frustrated that our society's over commercialization had resorted to gift giving for the sake of offering an item to someone with 'X' amount of value.
In 2002 I had the pleasure of spending Christmas with my Grandma Margaret. My husband and I woke up Christmas morning and looked for her in the guest bedroom. She had a hard time making it down our stairs herself, but that morning she was downstairs sitting right beside the twinkling tree. We don't know how long she had been there, but she seemed content to be experiencing the magic of Christmas another year.
I remember well her authentic happiness as she opened each gift. When we finished, she spent the rest of the afternoon playing Big Band CD's on a new CD player my father bought for her. No matter who you are, music has the power to take you back in time. Grandma told me stories of her life that accompanied the music tracks she played. She was a young child again on Christmas day. At 83 years old Grandma died less than three weeks later.
It was after that Christmas that I decided to stop purchasing gifts for the sole purpose of having a gift under the tree for someone. I started placing a lot of thought into what I purchased for my family and closest friends. The funniest thing happened the next year and beyond. I also stopped receiving gifts I didn't need or want. Somehow my intention influenced others without me saying a word.
One of my favorite Christmas gifts in recent years took me completely by surprise. The year I launched my interior design business my brother-in-law and his new wife sent me a book on advanced color techniques. They wrote on the inside, "Congratulations on your new business. We wish you much success."
Does it seem counterintuitive for an interior designer, who makes her living from clients investing in their spaces, to discourage haphazard gift buying? I hope not. I am offering you this story as a lesson from my Grandma. Treasure everything you receive at every moment, and put love into everything you give.
Angela Todd Designs offers a unique gift idea for the person in your life that has everything. This holiday season you can give someone you love a One Day Room Transformation package for $549. The gift is thoughtfully packaged with a full color hard bound book showcasing homeowner transformations, accompanied with a one day room transformation certificate. The book is packed full of before and after photos we have completed. We have also included lighting, color, and accessory ideas.
If someone you love enjoys HGTV and room makeovers on television, they would definitely be thrilled to bring this experience to a room in their home. (Sorry, this package price is reserved for homeowners within 30 miles of Portland, Oregon.)
If you are reading this post and would like to be given a one day transformation package as a holiday gift this year, simply ask or direct your loved one to this blog. Husbands particularly LOVE direction when gift buying.
This holiday season I encourage you to be thoughtful and creative with your gift giving. It brings the magic back to the holiday season.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Faux Bois for Fall
One trend this Fall 2008 seems to be in alignment with our focus on all things natural. Well it isn't really natural, but it looks like wood doesn't it?
The replicated wood look is also frequently featured this season in furnishings. Ballard Designs features this coffee table, which would definitely start a conversation in your living room everytime you had a new guest visit your home.
You will notice faux bois this season in many stores you regularly shop. Look for it in home goods from fabric to furniture. I even saw a soap dish the other day at Target featuring the look!Friday, November 7, 2008
Interior Design Society of Portland - Chapter Launch

Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Is Your Home Ready for Holiday Entertaining?

If you are like many people, you will be entertaining in the next two months. Be honest. Is your home ready for entertaining? Are you proud of how it looks? You deserve to be.

1.) We schedule a redesign consultation. We talk about what you love in the room, and what you'd like to improve.
2.) We tour your home so I understand your taste. (I also mentally shop for pieces that will work in the room transformation.
3.) We schedule the transformation day and in the meantime, I come up with a personalized plan for your space.
4.) My team and I arrive on the scheduled day, and you leave the room to us.
5.) The last step is just like you see on TV. You enter the room with excitement and anticipation. Some clients laugh, some hug us, some cry. We love the reveal and so will you!
Before and After Footage of Redesigned Rooms performed by the Angela Todd Designs team
Angela Todd Design's Web Site http://www.nwinteriordesigner.com/
Friday, October 31, 2008
10 Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast
This fall I staged a home for Matt Mahaffy from Georgetown Realty with amazing results! His client received a job offer and was moving to Arizona. We made some significant changes to the home before placing it on the market. In three weeks we changed the dated 1970's lighting throughout the home, called in a professional to paint the walls a beautiful warm oatmeal (previously gray tinted builder white), and we installed WilsonArt's HD "granite" countertops in the kitchen. This is a great look without the slab granite price. We also dropped attractive pendant lights at the island peninsula in the kitchen, painted the front door a colorful autumn red, and had a contractor re-tile the bathroom countertops. Professionally cleaning the carpets and windows were the finishing touch. The home was listed on a Saturday and we had a written offer by close of business Wednesday. I received a fun text message from the client the day of the offer. It read, "You may have broken your record. We got an offer. Wow! Thanks!"
US Housing Urban Development reports that a staged home will sell, on average, 17% higher than an un-staged home. Last year, the New York Village Voice discovered the number of days an un-staged home is on the market is 30.9 versus 13.9 for a staged home. Best yet, in 2007 a Home Gain survey of 2000 realtors found sellers who typically spent $500 on staging services recovered 343% of the cost in the sale of their home10 tips to follow prior to placing your home on the market:
Matt Mahaffy said recently, "For a home to move quickly and get top dollar in this market, it needs to do two things: Win the beauty contest and the price war." I couldn't have said it better.
1.) Take a good look at the outside of your home. Freshen up the flower beds with mulch and tidy up any shrubs. Clean up any moss on your home or on your driveway and sidewalks. Pay special attention to clutter in your yard and around the entrance.
2.) Take care of cosmetic details. Paint the interior and exterior of your home where needed. Finish all repairs you have been putting off. Tighten up loose hardware and clean carpets, floors, window treatments, cabinets and windows.
3.) Consolidate and eliminate clutter. You want buyers to focus on your home, not your belongings. Countertops should be clear and clean. (Put your Kleenex, toaster, salt and pepper shakers, hair brush, toothpaste, and lotion bottles away.)
4.) Pack away in storage personal items, especially those with religious or political themes. If someone doesn’t share your beliefs (and many won’t) they won’t see themselves living in your home.
5.) Consider furniture placement that highlights the buying attributes of the room. Remove or rearrange furniture so that selling features like built-ins, fireplaces and wonderful views are highlighted.
6.) Make decorating decisions including color and accessories that appeal to the most buyers touring the home and the demographic you are targeting for purchasing your home.
7.) You don’t live in a home the same way you sell it. Your home should be ready for a professional photograph each day your home is on the market. Store away mail, remote controls and excessive magazines.
8.) This one is tough for me because I have two lovely dogs. Roughly 60% of the population have a pet in their home, 40% do not. 20% of the population has known pet allergies. Eliminate evidence of pets and pet odor. If you need a litter box, kitty scratches, and water bowls, keep them in an industrial area of the home - in most cases not the kitchen or the bathroom. The best alternative is to remove your pet before showings and during open houses.
9,) Lighting sells. Open all blinds and soft window treatments and turn on all your lights before any showings.
10.) Prior to placing your home on the market, consider hiring a professional stager with fresh eyes for your home. You will certainly re-coup the cost: a staged home sells for a higher price and is on the market for half the time.
Here are some statistics from Home Gain regarding the results when implementing these home staging tips.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Keeping Toxins out of Landfills and Waterways
Portland's Metro has a no-cost recycling program for safely disposing of toxic substances like paint, batteries, household cleaners, and pesticides. The best part is they will come to you - to your local neighborhood that is.

I live in Murrayhill in Beaverton, Oregon. This weekend Metro created a round up site at Southwest Bible Church on Murray Blvd and Weir Road. My husband and I gathered up several gallons of paint collecting dust in our garage, and a lunchbag full of used batteries. I drove up to the site and friendly Metro volunteers dressed in white Tyvek suits and blue rubber gloves unloaded my car. Dang that was easy!
Our shelves in the garage dedicated to paint storage now only house the current paint colors in the house. (As an interior designer, I admit I change my decor colors every few years. Would you expect anything else from me?) I feel good on so many levels. We have less clutter in the garage, more space, and as a family we kept something hazardous from reaching waterways and the landfill.
What do you have to take to Metro? If you don't want to wait for your next neighborhood round-up, Metro has two drop off sites open Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm.
Metro Central Station
6161 NW 61st
Portland
Metro South Station
2001 Washington Street
Oregon City
To learn more about the 2008 and 2009 scheduled round-up sites, or to learn about materials accepted, please visit http://www.metro-region.org/
Friday, October 24, 2008
A Healthier Environment Starts with You
10. Use suppliers, manufacturers and local products as much as possible when purchasing items for your home. Ditto goes for when you remodel and redecorate your home. The farther we ship, the more fuel we use. Besides, supporting your local economy is good for you and your fellow neighbors.
9. Using "low" or "no" VOC paints. VOC stands for volatile organic compound. You know that smell that lingers for days when you paint? It isn't good for you or the general air quality. Big surprise, I know. Most paint lines now offer this option. I use Sherwin Williams. In Portland, Oregon, visit their store in the Pearl District. Ask for Jamie or Keith. They are wonderful to work with! (503) 222-1200.
8. Invest in a programmable thermostat. I read a simple article from the Oregonian last week about programmable thermostats and weatherizing your home. It is not sexy, but it will make a considerable difference in your energy bill. Energy consumption is our number one greenhouse gas source, so consider doing your part not to waste energy.
7. When you are looking to make decorating changes in your home, take an honest look around. What can you improve yourself or re-purpose? If you need some help seeing your items through fresh eyes, consider hiring an expert redesigner or scheduling a design consultation. If you live in or around Portland, Oregon it would be my pleasure to help.
6. Unplug electronics that you don't use regularly. They are still pulling power when they are idle. Your DVD player, stereo systems and computer running a little red or green light is adding about $70 to your electicity bill and creating 190 pounds of greenhouse gases. Even in standby or sleep mode, appliances and home computers can still be operating at 40 percent of their full running power. Buy power strips and shut them down. Also look for electronics with Energy Star that use half the electricity of regular electronics.
5. Turn off the lights. Better yet, don't turn them on when you don't need them. Use natural light in your home when you can, and shut off lights when you are leaving the room. Also consider turning off your faucet when you are brushing your teeth. Do you run your water for several minutes to obtain a hot temperature? Consider installing an instant hot tap. I use mine everyday for instant hot tea. It also works great for cooking.

4. Refuse plastic bags at the checkout counter. Here is an alarming statistic. Americans go through 380 billion plastic bags each year and 100 million of those are from shopping. Today only 0.6 get recycled, and an estimated 100 million are let loose in the wild. These "urban tumbleweeds" are clogging sewers, gutters and waterways, entangling birds, and are fatally ingested by marine life. Here is a great article on plastic bag impact and what is being done worldwide. Keep a reusable bag or two in your car and make a habit of bringing them into retailers when you shop. At the very least consider times when you don't need a plastic bag. Do you really need a bag for an item already packaged or for 1-3 items? If you do use a plastic bag or two, please do bring them back to your grocer for recycling. Safeway has a recycling container right by the entrance. You local grocer probably does as well.
3. Balance your diet and eat less red meat. It takes 132 gallons of water to produce a pound of potatoes, 505 gallons to produce a pound of rice and 26,400 to produce only 1 pound of grain-fed beef. Cattle, sheep and other livestock account of 87% of America's total freshwater consumption and agriculture is the second largest source of greenhouse gases (after the energy sector.) Choose to eat less resource-intensive meat such as chicken and turkey and eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
2. Recycle at work, and make sure your items are actually being recycled. A few years ago, I was working late one night in my office when the cleaning crew came through. I watched the cleaning service empty my recycling container and my trash in the same bin. I asked the attendant about it and she was dumbfounded. I called the property manager the next day. It seems the cleaning crew hadn't been recycling for months. Kind of scary isn't it? Nearly two thirds of Oregon's waste comes from businesses. If you work for a small business that doesn't practice recycling, please be an advocate. Here is a link to establish recycling in the Portland, Oregon metropolitian area.
1. Though we can get caught up in the American dream of seeking wealth, research has show that happiness has little do with how much we own or what we have in our bank account. The happiest people among us are those that help others and spend time in their community. From volunteering in an area where you have expertise, to assisting a neighbor in need, volunteering gives you an activity that doesn't revolve around consuming resources. It can also make you a happy, enriched human being.

Here is a fun website to review your carbon footprint in everyday living. http://www.carbonfootprint.com/
If you have made adjustments in your everyday living to positively impact the environment or your community, please post a comment and tell us about it.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Staging Angels - Coming to a Home Near You!
When we think about our true purpose in life, it really boils down to something very simple. We are all here to serve others. An opportunity to serve someone fell right into my lap this month. A home staging peer of mine, Paula Springer from Key Elements Home Staging and Interiors, called and asked if I was interested in volunteering my time to stage a home for a single mother with two children under five. Personal challenges forced this mom to place her beautiful, remodeled farmhouse for sale in the current real estate market.
Paula and I know not to be too concerned about the market conditions. We both have staged homes in the Portland, Oregon area this year that have sold in only a few days. Yes, with the right home staging expertise and a good real estate agent, homes are still selling fast in this market. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to believe everything you hear on the news?

Let's move this discussion back to our family in need. Paula arranged for four professional volunteers. Many hands make light work, so I worked with another interior designer, Paula, and a real estate stager re-arranging furniture, artfully hanging artwork and adding splashes of color and interest to the lovely farmhouse. We used the clients existing pieces as much as we could, and brought in accents as needed to complete the look.

The charming farmhouse is located on Grove Lane, just a few miles past Murray Blvd off Scholls Ferry Road. The home sits on 1.24 acres of land. When you drive up to the home, a tire hangs from an old oak tree and a fountain bubbles in the front yard. It reminds me of lazy summer days back in Indiana where I grew up. Inside, the home features a cottage look with modern day amenties including stainless steel appliances, a jetted master bathroom tub, a media room, and a separate entrance perfect for a home based business. Learn more about the listing here.
The home transformed before our eyes in a few hours. It was hard work, but warmed our souls.
Introducing Staging Angels. The current real estate market can be tough, especially for homes that aren't artfully prepared for sale. As a design team, we have decided to begin offering staging services once a month to families in need. We are calling our team Staging Angels. If you know someone in need, please email me for more information. We will select one family to assist each month.
I sincerely hope this post inspires you to give back too. What expertise do you have? Why not serve someone in need this month?
Angela Todd and her design partners offer full service interior design and home staging assistance throughout Portland, Oregon. To learn more, visit her web site at: http://www.nwinteriordesigner.com
Friday, October 17, 2008
Reviving the use of Earthen Plasters
I have fallen in love with using American Clay, an environmentally friendly, sustainable option for interior wall finishes. My love affair started from across a crowded showroom. The soft, suede like texture seemed to glow within itself and summoned me to take a closer look.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A Progressive Evening of Interior Design Fare
We had a progressive evening in SE Portland, moving to five sites from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. I use the word progressive because it reminded me of a progressive dinner. At that end of the evening it was impossible to decide which stop was my favorite place. Each brought its own unique flavor to the Portland interior design community.

We started at Quadrant Systems located at 437 SW MLK. Curt Nelson, their Sales and Marketing Manager, told us that the building, built in the 1950s, used to be a Goodrich Tire storefront. By the time Quadrant Systems purchased the building four years ago it was a disaster. With the help of a lot of elbow grease and a grant from the Portland Development Commission (PDC), Quadrant completed an amazing remodel of the storefront. All of the work at Quadrant was done without the help of a single contractor - the owner and staff stained concrete floors, distressed steel panels, left exposed cinder blocks and support columns, and crafted built-in cabinetry and molding. The old Goodrich Tire garage doors were salvaged, and now the repetitive square glass windowpanes feel both retro and modern. It is outstanding how well the Art Deco character of the space lends itself to a company with home theatre, media, lighting and technology focus. The 27,000 square foot space is part Art Deco, part Industrial chic, part high definition technology.
Quadrant is a one-stop technology provider for Home Theater, Security, Lighting, and Communications. They are able to integrate the entire home with push-of-a-button technology. The showroom includes vanishing LCD panels (into tabletops and under artwork), automated solar shades for lighting control, and a sleek home theatre room where only the finest components were installed. I have toured many of their competitors showrooms in Portland, and I loved Quadrant's approach. They decided to only show a small portion of their options. The eye isn't overloaded or confused. I left understanding they could tackle any large or small technology project in the state of Oregon. I ordered a steaming pumpkin spice cappuccino, courtesy of Quadrant Systems, for brisk walk to the next stop.
We meandered down a few blocks to S'Tile (pronounced "style') at 345 SE Yamhill. Neutral colored tiles in porcelain, natural stone and glass were like eye candy to the designers that entered S'Tile the showroom. I personally have a glass tile fetish, so I was in pure bliss walking the showroom with a glass of champagne and a fresh Caesar salad. If I had a strawberry with a drizzle of chocolate afterwards I would have stayed there for the entire evening. (They probably would have called security eventually, huh?)

We walked to California Closets under a light rain shower and a dark night sky. The warm lighting and clean lined showroom at California Closets was like a beacon calling us to their showroom. My clients have used California Closets for their homes, but these showroom displays still impressed me. For outstanding, aesthetically pleasing storage ideas for your home office, closet, pantry, utility room and garage, visit the showroom at 1225 SE Grand in Portland.
Our next stop was just next door. Surface isn't just another flooring and surface showroom, they pride themselves with their unique mix of products, great customer service, and green and sustainable focus. They work with both the trade and retail clientele directly with a "help as little or as much as you like" philosophy. They feature Leed certified wood floors, cork flooring, marmoleum, and unique tiles. Incidentally, I coveted the rolling display carts in the showroom. It is worth a stop at 1235 SE Grand Avenue, Portland.Miller Paint's Devine paint line is so well marketed in Portland, Oregon that I find some of my clients ask for it by name. Gretchen Schauffler is the artist of the Devine Color palette. She greeted many of us and answered questions about the new colors and green developments in her line. I enjoyed watching the catering staff make Irish whiskey coffees in wine glasses layering two teaspoons of sugar, whiskey, coffee and a skim layer of cream for the finish. The drink was tempting, but I had to drive home that evening, so instead I grabbed a gourmet chocolate for the road. It was a dark chocolate Haystack with a hint of strawberry.
My evening with the Northwest Society of Interior Designers on Thursday night was nothing short of blissful. So much design cuisine in Portland, so little time.
Photos were provided courtesy of Quadrant Systems, California Closets and S'Tile.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Remodeling with a Reuse, Reduce & Recycle Focus

Pictured Provided by The Carpet Place in Portland, OregonIt really isn't as expensive as you would think! Eastside Recycling located on SE Portland at 122nd Avenue and Raphael (1 block north of 122nd and Halsey) takes recycled carpet from most projects for around $60. For larger projects, they will also leave a drop box at the construction site for $250. They drop it off and they pick it up. There telephone number is 503-253-0867.
Shannon Quimby, an interior design peer of mine here in Portland, was the creative mind behind the Reuse Everything Experiment (Rex Project). She used the old carpet in the house she dismantled as a weed barrier in the yard. Her creative application was nothing short of brilliant! No transportation costs needed to haul this carpet to an east coast recycling facility, and she saved money on purchasing weed barrier. Best yet, the absorption of the carpet retains water longer in the soil cutting back on watering.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Window Treatments Made Simple


One common way to address windows these days is to have a functional "alternative" window treatment, added to a "soft" or "creative window treatment".
Alternative window treatments can be used alone without a creative window treatment (fabric) option. In the above photo, this homeowners woven woods are used exclusively for a contemporary, updated look. Using only a functional window treatment works particularly well in decor that is simplistic with clean lines. It also works well for two story windows that homeowners and commercial clients don't want overly "dressed".
Roman Shades are timeless and are popular with the current trends. They function as a creative and functional window treatment all in one. Roman Shades are great for windows with moulding to showcase, and they also bring color and pattern to eye level in a room. They can look contemporary, casual, retro, and country depending on the style and fabric you select.
Simple drapery panels also make a great statement at the windows for almost any style of decor. I love the way they elongate any room. I especially like the style in dining rooms, living rooms and bedrooms. When hanging panels consider raising them above the window moulding 6 to 8 inches. Also, consider not compromising your lighting and view, by placing hardware so the panel is only an inch or two over the right and left of the window.
There is a window style and function that can be personalized to you. Please contact me to discuss interior design ideas for your windows. We will make window dressing fun! Thursday, October 2, 2008
Interior Design Direction for DIY'ers

Do it yourself or 'DIY' for short is catching more and more momentum in home improvement. Many television networks like HGTV and TLC show what one can do with a tight budget and sweat equity. Home Improvement is big business. Lowes and Home Depot welcome thousands of people into their stores each weekend with the "home improvement' bug.
As an interior designer in Portland, Oregon I love this awareness. Most of my clients lead very busy lives and at the end of the day and during weekends at home, they crave a place to relax, retreat and entertain. Rooms featured on television home makeover shows have inspired many of us, but sometimes also leave us frustrated when our own DIY home projects don't measure our intent or expectations.
What if you had some expert advice in the beginning to ensure your inspired plan and the finished outcome were one in the same? What if your finished space exceeded your expectations because expert advice made you aware of challenges you didn't forsee and brought great ideas to light that were specific to your space and project that you wouldn't consider on your own?
Most homeowners see contractors, architects, interior designers. and tradespeople as an all or nothing proposition. This isn't true. More and more trade professionals have added the DIY crowd to their business clientele. We will gladly visit your project site or room project and make some recommendations. You might find a seasoned professional can steer you clear of common pitfalls in materials, colors, textures, and applications.
Let's say you need a new deck. A new deck built by a contractor costs $7000. To purchase necessary materials to build the deck costs $3800. Although you haven't built a built a deck before - you buy a book at the local home improvement store on deck building. The project takes you longer than you anticipated. You make some mistakes the book didn't cover. Also, perhaps the design of the deck could have been more pleasing by addressing shading for afternoon sun, diagonal lines to open the space and a solution for the herb garden you wanted for cooking. The book didn't cover those considerations!

Interior Design and Decorating professionals like Angela Todd Designs work the same way. You can work with us in whatever capacity makes sense for you. A couple of hours with recommendations and a to-do list? No problem. For under $250, you can have piece of mind and know your project's decisions are sound. You will now your wall color won't need repainted, your granite and backsplash match, and your carpet will go with your sofa.
Consider working with an interior designer when....
- You know what you like when you see it, but you aren't sure how to put it together.
- You have existing pieces to incorporate into a new look, but don't see the common thread.
- You don't know what your room is missing or needs to look exceptional.
- You absolutely do not want to buy something you don't like, don't need, or won't use.
- You aren't sure where to start in your home or room for a great look.
- You don't want or can't afford to make mistakes that need fixed or redone.
- You have a budget and it is important you stick to it.
- You aren't sure if your tile, carpet, paint, (insert item) will look great in your room once finished.
I would love to help you turn your room into something personalized and exceptional. Imagine having your room ignite your senses every time you enter. We will work together to create the results you desire. You let me know how much - or how little - you want help. If you are located in the Portland Oregon area, you can contact me via my interior design web site.
If you are reading this blog and you are located outside of Portland, Oregon. Please email me for an interior designer referral.


