Time to get the inside ready for entertaining
By Silvia Phillips Kani Interiors

Company's coming!

No more nightmares about Aunt Beth tripping over last year's stack of magazines. Don't panic. With a little effort and the right guidance, you can go from clutter to organized and appealing living/entertaining spaces and bring that "glow" back to your nest.

Faced with the dilemma of taking outside entertaining back into the home usually involves reorganizing and reinventing our living/entertaining areas. Where once was the kitchen/dining area only used for food prep and stacking magazines, we now have the opportunity to create a space more welcoming to guests and wrapping us in the comfort of our home.

Let's start with the basics. De-clutter and throw a fresh coat of paint on the walls.

Home improvement stores offer a full range of storage ideas, whether we're talking a simple cork board on the wall or an innovative shelving unit to simply reorganize your cabinets. While you're at it, why not do a little "fall cleaning" and free the unused items in the back corners of your cupboards and open them up to useful storage.

With regard to paint colours, no dramatic change is required. My suggestion to you is to consult with a professional and get a colour consultation. This is neither expensive or time consuming, and can save you a lot of heartache and needlessly spent dollars down the road correcting poor choices.

New, exciting artwork will give a fresh ambiance to an old space. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of our fall fairs and local artisan displays. A day's drive could prove to be a treasure trove of beautiful artwork just waiting to adorn your freshly painted walls.

With the cold weather coming, this is also the perfect time to address energy saving ideas. Most of us have already changed our light bulbs, but what about stopping the cold air before it makes its way into your home. The perfect solution to this is draperies with insulating lining. Not only will they in keep the cold drafts out in the winter, but they will also keep the air conditioning bills down next summer.

In any case, with drafty or just naked windows, hanging the right window treatment will soften your windows and warm up your home.

Here again, I would recommend you consult with a professional who can guide you in the right direction for beauty, energy efficiency and quality products.