What a Year! 2023 Round Up
Although January can be dark and gray, I always appreciate the clean slate of a new year. A natural fresh start. After what seems like a month-long event of holiday festivities starting with Thanksgiving and extending through New Years Eve, it feels good to reset and get back to routine.
December was nutty around here, between a trip to Oklahoma to take care of some business for River’s Edge Cottages, a short term rental project for a local client (more on that coming soon so stay tuned!), moving our daughter from Atlanta back to Nashville, and hosting a lot of family and friends over the holidays, it all went by in a WHIRLWIND!
I like the rhythm of thinking through the past year and planning for the one ahead. The introspection AND forward-looking thought processes are helpful in gauging what went well and what is best served by releasing and letting go.
This past year we revamped my website and made a lot of really good changes on the backend of my Hook and Hearth virtual design and STR design business. Changes that feel necessary in the growth of business, but that are also challenging! Good stuff, but also stretching! Whew.
The early winter months of 2023 were filled with working on client design projects as well as my own, like going bold with paint colors and fighting off the winter gloom with houseplants.
I also helped a dear virtual design client plan a Galentines Party. She’s a mom with a house full of boys, so it was fun to add a little feminine flair to her February!
In the early spring we got our new puppy, Molly. What a terror and delight she’s been! She’ll be a year old in just a few days and she’s finally housetrained, and has a bit more self-control. She adds a lot of spice to life around here.
In April we finished up a refresh/remodel of one of our vacation rental cottages in the Ouachita Mountains of Southeastern Oklahoma. You can see the finished reveal here and here and here. I really should’ve documented it all in a blog post, but alas, I didn’t. That’s one of the things I hope to tweak a little in this new year. More process driven content. The whys and wherefores, if you will.
In the midst of all those things I also had the privilege of helping several clients design or update their outside spaces. One of which was seating around an outdoor pool. This amazing virtual design client has a very chic modern style. I’ve had the privilege of working with her for a couple of years on her new home, and this summer we were able to carry that same sophistication and flair into her new beautifully landscaped outdoor pool area! Here’s the design board we landed on—
Due to the nature of working with my virtual design clients who aren’t local, I don’t always get to take professional pics of the final product but occasionally they send me phone pictures and videos so I can see how the designs played out in real life. It’s always so rewarding! This elevated screened back porch is one of those. And this wrap-around front porch is another. Aren’t they both so great! And each of them really fits the vibe of the families who enjoy them.
One of my favorite summer projects was working on the primary bedroom for a dear client I’ve been working with since 2020! It’s super fun to get to work on multiple projects with folks. I get to know them and their families. Such a special privilege!
Also, over the course of the summer and fall I got to work on a few vacation rental virtual design projects—one was a beach condo! So fun!—as well as a couple local projects where I got to do the installation as well as the design.
Here’s one of the local STR’s I did—
Isn’t she lovely?!
And now it’s 2024 and I’m excited about all the designs in the year ahead. I would love to be a resource and take away the overwhelm that might come from trying to update your space. Whether you’re looking for a short term rental design, updating your living room through virtual design, or even picking out the best paint color, I am here to help. Currently booking Spring of 2024 and can’t wait to connect! Let’s grab a coffee and chat!