KAZA, local design shop and entreprenuer extraordinare, was recently chosen NH Hampshire Magazine’s “Editor’s Pick for Shabby Chic Revival!”  But wait – there’s more!  Home Accents Today (a national publication) also named KAZA as one of the 50 Retailers for 2010!  (I am so proud, I am busting!)

Located at 202 South Main Street in Concord, KAZA is an absolute gem.  Stop by or visit www.kazadesigns.com to see for yourself what all the buzz is about.  You’ll be a raving fan too!

KAZA:  Recycle.  Trade Fair.  Live Funky.

Probably every home or office has that catch-all drawer, table, or closet, but some cases of clutter are a bit more severe.  The stack became a pile, the pile became a mountain, and the mountain grew out of control.  Like watering Gremlins and feeding them after midnight, clutter can multiply to chaotic and destructive measures.  One day you may step back and wonder, “what happened to my home?”

Clutter can rob someone of their energy, freedom, and living the life their soul intended.  If you know a friend or relative who has some serious clutter issues, I ask that you simply plant the seed about working with a professional.  This habit can be a lifetime in the making and will require a commitment from them to change.  When they are ready and willing, I’d love to help them on their way to greatness.

I need to tell you about a serious problem – a problem that has plagued homes and offices across the State.  Side effects may include nausea, indigestion, anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, insomnia, or increase in blood pressure.  Similar to the symptoms of ugly wallpaper, I’m referring to…

UGLY WINDOW TREATMENTS!

Aside from the obvious fact that they are ugly, window treatments in need of replacing may have been damaged from a climbing cat, faded from direct sunlight, or reflect the style of decades past.  I can help homeowners with custom designed window treatments, as well as with selection of ready-made alternatives.  What do YOUR windows look like?

While innocently perusing pages of Facebook, I was quickly distracted by an advertisement for DecorDreamHome.com.  Since I’m such a sucker for beautiful things, I couldn’t help but investigate further.  The pillows!  The accessories!  Very exciting…

Where do I begin?  Just the thought of writing this post has my mind racing with excitement!!!  That, or perhaps I’ve had too much coffee.  Either way, Target is a fantastic resource for just about everything.  Rather than walking you through, aisle by aisle, I will do my best to focus on that which is most relevant.

The images below reflect a lot of my own personal style.  Aren’t they fabulous?!  If you happen to disagree, don’t count them out alltogether.  Between their retail stores and online, Target has a huge selection of bedding, lighting, window treatments, home decor, tableware, and the list goes on…

Hold on to your delicates and your dryer sheets — today I’m going to talk about laundry.  Did you know that 80% of households in America have a dryer whereas countries like Italy average only 3%?  Air drying clothes can save money, reduce energy consumption, and even kill germs and bacteria thanks to the sun’s UV rays.

Project Laundry List is an event taking place in downtown Concord to promote the green advantages of using a clothesline.  Creative displays have been hung at the Capital building and 13 businesses.  In collaboration with Cyndi Rogers of Mariposa Designs, we worked on the design, construction, and installation of 5 displays:  Bagel Works, Caffenio, Concord Camera, Gibson’s Bookstore, and Gondwana.  Stay tuned to find out which window is the winner!

Bagel Works:  Window on the left - your average plastic grocery bag…  On the right - ANYTHING but ordinary bags woven from the plastic ones!  Created by Crafty Kathy, these hardcore alternatives are available for purchase at KAZA.  

Caffenio:  Funky garland made of coffee filters and coffee mugs.  A “tea” shirt is also shown hanging in the center.

Concord Camera:  Jumbo clothespins hold slides, fantastic black and white photos (of clotheslines of course), and rolls of negatives to drying racks.  Slides were also attached to a string of mini paper lanterns.

Gibson’s Bookstore:  Folding the pages of a book goes against everything I was ever taught.  I hate to even dog-ear a page to save my place!  The end result, however, can be beautiful  : )

Gondwana:  Students from Rundlett Middle School gave us a hand with clothes cut from paper bags.  Pictures and flags are also hung to represent the countries Gondwana practices Fair Trade with. 

As a side note, holy window glare Batman!   

Project Laundry List’s founder Alex Lee has been traveling to promote similar events in cities across America.  For more information, visit www.laundrylist.org.

There are numerous facets to working with green design – creating a healthy environment, reusing furniture and accessories to extend their lifecycle, and designing for longevity, to name a few.  These techniques are also inherent qualities to my approach with interior design.  

As I have mentioned before, it’s impossible to be 100% green.  Each product has it’s green advantages and disadvantages.  The trick is to find the best balance for each individual client.  To complicate matters, rising awareness and preference for using green products has lead to “Green Washing”.  This term describes false or exaggerated claims of environmental friendliness.  So how do you make the best choices?  Aside from hiring your’s truly, organizations such as USGBC (US Green Building Council) help by certifying fact from fiction.  To learn more, I recommend GreenHomeGuide.com.  Their article “Navigating the Flooring Thicket: Finding the Greenest Way to Meet Your Needs” is excellent.

Go Green!

Spring is just around the corner — and not a moment too soon.  After another dreary New England winter, I have a serious craving for color.  Delicate and subtle shades are all well and good, but right now I want bold, delicious, breath-taking color.  Below are a few designs to help shake those winter blues.  Enjoy!

Shown are images from Domino and desiretoinspire.blogspot.com – love them!

Last night Lavender & Lotus Interior Design participated in “Ladies Night Out”, an event sponsored by the Hooksett Public Library.  This was a delightful evening featuring numerous businesses local to central and southern New Hampshire. 

Sincere thanks to those who showed an interest in Lavender & Lotus.  I look forward to working with you!

Located on South Main Street in Concord (next door to Vinnie’s Pizza), KAZA is a sensational addition to the Downtown community.  They offer a variety of home decor products including organic, mid-century modern (my favorite!!!), international merchandise, and much more. 

For those of you who are wondering, the name KAZA means “fortunate accident” in Turkish.  And how fitting — it so happens that a catalyst for Lisa Swan to open the store was the availability of cowhide rugs from family friends in Turkey.  These extraordinary rugs and other Turkish furnishings are exclusive to KAZA.

What I love most about KAZA is the style that they bring to Concord.  For someone who leans in the funky/eclectic/modern direction, KAZA is a breath of fresh air for New Hampshire.  Also, the variety of international products are genuine works of art from countries such as Mexico, Peru, Morocco, Bulgaria, Italy, and Turkey.  In addition, KAZA features the talent of local artisans regularly.

I highly recommend that you take a trip to visit the shop.  You can also go to www.kazashop.blogspot.com.