I’ve just answered the latest round of decorating questions from A2D readers, submitted on the Ask The Interior Decorator page.

Check out their questions, and see if you agree with my answers. Have something to add? Leave a comment and take a stab at answering these decorating questions. I certainly don’t mind people disagreeing with me, or having different opinions. That’s how we learn, right?

John asks about his home’s exterior color, and how it should relate (if at all) to his neighbor’s home.

An anonymous reader asks how she should refinish her great grandmother’s dresser and matching furniture pieces for use in her own home.

Cheryl in Massachusetts asks how much beadboard she should use in her very narrow bathroom.

Mariane in Texas asks if she should paint her knotty pine walls in her dining room.

LisaAnne in Maryland asks what type of furniture and flooring she should use in her beach-inspired interiors.

Happy decorating,

PS–We’ve had some technical difficulties with the Ask the Interior Decorator page. If you’ve asked a question, and have not yet received an answer, please send an e-mail to addicted2decorating[at]live[dot]com.

If I don’t wind up spending my retirement years lounging in a Mexican villa, then I would like to spend them in New York City. I’ve always been fascinated with large cities, and even had the opportunity to live in one when I moved to Istanbul in 2000. I love being surrounded with people, activity, restaurants, and entertainment venues. I even love the sound of traffic, trains, and other sounds of the city that others consider “noise”. It’s like a beautiful urban symphony to my ears.

So this weekend, I somehow wound up on the Sotheby’s website, looking at New York City real estate. I found several places that I absolutely fell in love with, and I’ll be sharing some of my favorites with you throughout the week. But I thought I’d start with this one.

As it turns out, I don’t quite yet have the money to purchase this home, so I’ll pass the info along to you, just in case you’re looking for an investment for your millions.

This property is located at 151 East 58th Street in New York City. The list price is $8,500,000 (so if I’m figuring right, I only need $8,498,000, and then I’m in! That’s do-able, right?) The real estate taxes run $1,264 per month. The home has 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and 2415 square feet. Ready for the tour?

[all photos via www.sothebyshomes.com]

If you’d like to know more about this listing, or see the larger photos (including photos of the views from the windows, which are nothing short of spectacular), you can visit the Sotheby’s website.

I hope you’ve been inspired! Is there a particular place (city, state, or country) where you hope to put down roots one day? If so, please share!!

This weekend, a friend sent me a link to a Yukatan real estate website. I was completely drawn in, transported to a magical place where life is slow-paced, where days are spent lounging on the sandy beaches, or sipping tea with friends in the courtyard of my villa, with all of the doors open wide, and gentle breezes blowing through, to blur the lines between outside and inside. Ahhh…maybe one day.

Here are a few of my favorites:

El Portico de la Candelaria, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, $450,000
I am absolutely in awe of the gorgeous tiles throughout this home.

Small size, big style, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, $138,500
What an unbelievable price!!! And again, don’t miss the gorgeous tiles…especially in the room with the hammock.

Colonial beauty, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, $545,000

Urban magic, located in Merida Centro, $195,000
The kitchen is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before!

Tranquility and beauty in Centro, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, $289,000

The Royal Home, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, $865,000
I love the big carved wood doors throughout.

Casa del Panadero, located in the Centro Historico district of Colonial Mérida, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, $259,000

Well, I hope you ‘ve enjoyed this journey as much as I have!!

Happy decorating,

If you’re looking for something to give your walls a little color, but don’t want the standard framed artwork, these sculptural wall tiles from Natalie Blake Studios may be just what you need. Aren’t these gorgeous?

Click here to see more of these little beauties.

Happy decorating,

I’m loving this line of children’s furniture from Muu.

Muu furniture is made in the U.S. using locally-sourced hardwood from verified sustainable sources and MDF made from certified enviromentally-friendly recycled wood fibers. Their products are finished with non-toxic lacquer. Each piece of furniture can be personalized with one of the many MuuPanels that are available, and can be printed with your child’s name.

Here are the panels you can choose from. So cute!! And what an ingenious idea!

[all photos from www.muukids.com]

You can visit the Muu website to learn more about their furniture.

Happy decorating,

Okay, I seriously need your input, and FAST!!! Please help me, and leave your thoughts below (yes, even you lurkers….PLEASE!!)

Well, it’s not really a matter of life or death, but this next week, I will be working on the concrete floors in my little condo. I’m getting them prepped right now, and I will be painting them.

So the question…

You know how concrete foundations get cracks in them? Well, that’s what mine has done. So should I fill them, so that the newly painted floor is nice and smooth? Or should I leave the cracks? Do the cracks add character and interest?

Please…oh PLEASE…let me know your thoughts. I’ll be starting tomorrow.

Thanks so much!

Good morning all! Well, Spring is finally upon us. It’s interesting…I live in Texas, and we’ve been having spring-like weather (and sometimes summer-like weather) for quite some time now. But somehow, just the knowledge that spring is actually here does something to my state of mind. It’s a time of renewal, a time of reassessment. It’s time to sweep out all of the dust and cobwebs, open up the windows, and breathe in some fresh air (literally and figuratively).

In keeping with this spirit of renewal, I wanted to share a little something…

As I was out and about this past weekend, it dawned to me…I tend to rush through life, flittering from one task to the other, with my to-do list in hand, and the blinders on my eyes so that I don’t get distracted. I realized this weekend that my tunnel vision has caused me to miss out on so much. We’ve all heard the saying that we should “stop and smell the roses”, right? Well, seriously…when was the last time you actually slowed down and bit to do this? When was the last time you actually paused to look around you and really soak things in? I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s been a very long while.

So this weekend, I took some time to do just that, and I was inspired. I was amazed at the creative inspiration that’s all around me each and every day. So, I’ve committed to take time each day to pause and take it in. Then each day, I will share a bit of inspiration with you. This inspiration can be used in many different ways…inspiration for a color palette in decorating, inspiration for a painting, inspiration for ways to use texture, inspiration for a new creative project…literally you can use this inspiration in any way you see fit. So be looking for a daily post called “Today, I’m inspired by….”

I also encourage you to take time to find your own inspiration, and please share it with us!! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but in the comments section below, you have the ability to upload photos. If you come across something that inspires you, please share it with us!

I may not post an inspiration every single day, but I’ll post them often. I have no idea how long this little experiment will go on, so we’ll just play it by ear. How does that sound?

By the way, the collage above is filled with photos from the very talented Dolce Chic. You can visit the Dolce Chic Etsy store here.

Here’s to inspiration! Happy decorating,

These little lovelies are the work of Blue Sky Pottery. Oh, what gorgeous colors, what beautiful organic shapes, what pretty little details!

To see more beautiful items, and for more info on pricing, you can visit the Blue Sky Pottery Etsy store.

Happy decorating,

BTW…I learned about Blue Sky Pottery on Twitter. Would you like to follow me? Click here.

I don’t have children, but I’ve heard more than one woman say that if a woman truly remembered the pain of childbirth, she would never have more children. But somehow, once the pain is over, and her baby is in her arms, she forgets the pain.

Well, that’s about how I feel about DIY sometimes. No, it’s not as painful as childbirth, but I’ll tell ya…halfway through the day yesterday, I was about ready to throw in the towel. When I finished working last night, my arms and hands hurt so badly from the seven hours of scraping my floor on my hands and knees.

But I know the result will be worth it. And eventually, I’ll forget the pain and embark on yet another DIY project.

So would you like to see my progress so far? It’s not that impressive, but after seven hours of scraping, I would like someone to see it!!

Here’s what I started with yesterday morning. See how the paint has worn away in areas? That’s the whole reason I’m having to refinish my floors.

Living room floor, showing the worn areas

Small eating area, with baseboards removed. The blue tape
Marks where future cabinetry will go, and other random markings.

My postage stamp-sized kitchen, with some cabinetry
and oven removed. I couldn’t move the fridge because there
was nowhere to put it, so I’ll just have to paint around it.

And here’s what it looked like after seven hours of work:

Beautiful, huh?

I wound up with two large piles of paint. I just didn’t have
energy to pick it up, so I’ll have to do that this morning.

Well, that’s it so far. It’s not much to look at, but hopefully the “after” will be very well worth all of the effort.

Oh, and thanks for all of your input on the cracks! I received many comments here on the blog, as well as many e-mails, and so far, “don’t fill” is winning by a landslide. That sounds fine to me…a little less work.

So today, I’ll start with a cleaner/degreaser, followed by a cleaner/etcher. Then if there’s time, I’ll prime the floor and be ready to paint tomorrow.

Happy decorating!