Design Resolutions:  
 

Begin the New Year with  Resolve You Can Keep

Ah, the new year's resolutions.  We all make them.  We all usually intend to keep them.  But approximately 71% of our end-of-the-year promises to ourselves are forgotten or abandoned by February.  Yes, I made up this statistic.

But, this year, we will help you keep your promises and improve your life with your new interior resolve.  We have found ways to easily implement the five most common resolutions in your home.  So, while we can't help you quit smoking (but you really should), we can certainly give you a secret to organization and some valuable insight on encouraging family time.  We're also going to let you in on some tips for kitchen comfort and family room fervor. 

So, please read on and jump in.  And, we're here for additional guidance if you need it.  We want to see you keep your design resolutions this year!

Number one:  Be More Organized

With the exception of a small percentage of the population, disorganization is a common obstacle and an often daily challenge.  We want to help you get out of the disorganization closet by getting into your own!   

Our favorite (and most fun) way to organize is in one of the most important rooms- the good ole clothes locker.  And, our most proficient closet organizing resource is California Closets.  California Closets is a full-service product that is professionally designed, manufactured and installed.
 

JEI's  go-to gal at CC, Katie Hodgson, will provide a complementary consultation, AND they will even offer a complimentary certified professional organizing service (www.livingorder.com) for individuals with a severe case of disarray- who really want to change their lifestyle to be liberated from clutter and chaos.   But, even if your compartmentalizing skills only need minor guidance or honing, CC also offers basic makeovers that can change your life.

Here are some options for organization with CC.  Oh, and did we mention that their product is stunning?

Katie and California Closets also create beautiful designs for offices, media centers, pantries, garages, wine rooms, and more.  To view Katie's CC page, and to set up an appointment today, visit her page here.

Number Two:  Be Healthier

An oldie, but a goodie.  Even health nuts can find some ways in which their lifestyles can be better for the body.  And, the easiest and most enjoyable way to promote clean and healthful living is in the kitchen. 

Studies have shown that families who cook and dine together are healthier (I didn't make that one up).  So, it makes sense that a more appealing food prep locale will foster more time spent there, and more family dinners.   

We want to help you affect an atmosphere for your kitchen that will make everyone happy to be there.  For example, adding a bar to the kitchen where other family members and guests can participate in the activity there will make this space more comfortable and inviting.  

Hill Country Kitchen by JEI

Color scheme can also make a world of difference in the kitchen, and promote a livable and cozy mood for good memories with meals.

kitchen new constructionl by JEI

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Number Three:  Learn Something New

If one of your resolutions is this one, but you haven't yet selected what it will be exactly, we can help.  JEI offers consultation on any and all of your design or home accessory needs.   

Don't know which colors to use on the walls?  Or where to hang your new art?  Allow us to teach you!  Learn how to be your own basic designer with a few easy tips and counseling from our design team.

Number Four:  Spend More Time With Family

Life is constantly changing, and our kids are constantly growing!  We like to encourage lots of family time together to savor every last minute of the way things are today.  So, your family room should be beautiful but also warm and comfortable.

A successful family room is organic in nature, it lives and breathes, pulsating with energy that exemplifies the inhabiting family's most intrinsic values.  The space where you are relaxing with the ones you love should be all about you.   

And, almost any emotion or preference can by translated through a beautiful design scheme.  Even seemingly contrary styles (such as the modern-classic marriage seen above) can be melded to achieve a room that is exactly where you want to be.

JEI's project below incorporated years of various travel art into a fresh and contemporary living space.

Number Five:  Help Others More

Many of you already know that Julie and her team participated in the LifeWorks Designer Challenge last October.  In one day (but with several days of prep), they remodeled and furnished an entire apartment for a LifeWorks family.  If you would like to use your passion for interior design and your big heart to assist in next year's event, please let us know!

If you are looking to give back in other ways, JEI also contributes to these local nonprofits.

Center for Child Protection:  An accredited children's advocacy center serving Travis County, children are referred to the Center exclusively by law enforcement and Child Protective Services, and each child is brought to the Center by a caregiver for a recorded interview, forensic medical exam, counseling, and crisis intervention.
www.centerforchildprotection.org

Well Aware:  Well Aware is a nonprofit organization formed to provide life-saving water wells for the people of rural Kenya.  All of their public donations go directly toward out water projects, and the Kenyan community members work toward their efforts, as well, by crafting their indigenous jewelry for fundraising sales, in addition to contributing to the drilling process and upkeep of the water wells.