Console yourself.

I admit that I have been a snob. I always thought t.v. was a waste of precious time. But as life changed television has become part of my calming down in the evenings as I transition from a hectic work day. I hate to admit it but sometimes my husband and I even eat dinner watching t.v. (Even worse some of the things we watch are fairly silly but ridiculously entertaining)....

But, being a design freak, I of course, have to watch tv in an environment where I can focus on the show and not the clutter around the tv. We have now gotten plasma screens, clean, spare and immensely easy to love. Honestly they are downright sexy. Seriously. In response the furnishings industry has gone crazy creating consoles compatible with flat screens and here at Sunrise I have gone equally berserk showing these wonderful new pieces.

I catch myself showing them to clients using ridiculously glowing terms including "wire management, heat escapement, and smart eye"..... When I fell, I guess I fell hard.

Lately there are "things" that have seriously improved my day to day life....and again I am embarrassed to say they actually are "things"..... my kuerig coffee maker, my plasma tv that

I can actually operate by myself, and my new console that is so pretty and hides everything I

don't want to see so I can concentrate on what I do want to watch!

So, if you've come to the "dark side" where watching American Idol and DWS is part of your evening routine - you can at lease console yourself by knowing you are doing it in style.

It all has to start somewhere!

Decorating can sometimes feel a little mysterious, a tad confusing and unfortunately sometimes a little overwhelming.....so to cut through all those potentially intimidating emotions lets just start somewhere - most of us here at Sunrise will always shout out, "Start with the RUG!"....

If you are lucky enough to get to do a room from scratch then we say go from the ground up gals and guys! Simply stare at the room shape, with an idea towards very basic furniture placement.

If the room is rectangular you will most likely want a similarly shaped rug, obviously, NOT a round or square rug! One way to determine the size you need is to decide on how much floor you want showing and then come in from the walls the same amount all the way around the room. If your room is 12 x 15 and you want about a foot of beuatiful wood floor to show you should be shopping for a 10 x 13- ish rug.

Keep in mind that the hand made rugs have varying sizes while most machine made rugs will be truer to size. Basic rug sizes are: 2x3 4 x 6 5 x 7 6 x 9 8 x 10 9 x 12 10 x 14 and so on...

Once you have fallen in love with a rug you can "pull your paint color" out of it and then you are good to go. With a well coordinated rug/wall color you can simplify the process of furniture fabrics immensely.

So - GREAT NEWS! I just returned from one of the very very very best rug buying trips EVER!

We have a wonderful collection of rug "corners" - (the newest and easiest way to try out rugs for your home) - Stop in and see our wide, creative, beautiful collection of rug options for you to choose from.

You have to start your decorating project somewhere - start it at Sunrise!

I feel like I am living out of a suitcase! January brings all of the shows - New York, Atlanta,
Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, just to name a few..... As a buyer I try to cover every square inch of every show seeking out the newest, coolest, most interesting and unique things. Still exhausted and jet laggy, (is that a word?) from COLD Atlanta - of course it snowed - go figure - but so so so happy with the things I found. As a result of the slow economy some of my purchase orders arrived home before I did and some of the things are already shipping! Wow - fast and immediate gratification.

LOTS of vivid color and playful accessories. Cool, large wire mice that can playfully hang from the table (you have to see them to appreciate them) as well as many many cows - truely I went on a serious cow binge and so expect to see the walls in Sunrise covered with horse and cow paintings.....and dogs. I added some ultra modern dog sketches as well as dog paintings - if you like golden retrievers I have the perfect painting for you! I guess 2010 brings with it a sense of playfulness, whimsy and a desire to lighten up - cheer up and have fun.

If Atlanta was the Moo, Woof and Neigh buying trip I wonder what New York will be?