Irene Woodworth ~ Color~Redesign~Staging Trainer & Motivational Speaker ~ Idaho

This eco-friendly concept is known to repurpose, rearrange and refresh your rooms like you see on HGTV - in one day! Also known as Interior Makeovers and One Day Decorating. There is lots of talk these days about Green Design. What does that mean to you? Springtime is a perfect time to look at our efforts and what we are doing for the environment, our homes and families. How do you go about incorporating Green Design into your home? I have always felt that Interior Redesign is one of the purest forms of Green Design. Our services focus on: "Affordable rearrangements using your existing furnishings to create beautiful and functional living spaces!"

How do you do that?

• Purchase items made from recycled materials.
• Look for sustainable wood products made from bamboo or eucalyptus.
• When you purchase locally, you also help the environment by reducing energy to transport products and you stimulate the local economy.
• Go through your home and do an inventory of what furniture, artwork and accessories you really like.
• Rethink those special furniture pieces. Can they serve another function in another room?
• Are they still in good condition and perhaps need a new coat of paint or refinishing? For smaller jobs, you can use Howard Restor-A-Finish, found at Home Depot. Sometimes it can eliminate refinishing your furniture.
• Or maybe the time has come to recycle those pieces you do not like anymore to another person or donate it to charity.
• What about consigning some of those pieces that you already have and perhaps recoup some of the money to purchase some updated accessories or artwork? Many stores now carry "Green Products".
• No matter what avenue you take, think about how to renew before buying something new.

Springtime is an excellent time for Renewal or Redesign. Do you still need help? We can help you by offering a personal customized Redesign. Renew with Green Design in your space today!

~ Have a Colorful Day!

It is official. We have just updated our image and our new website for One Day Redesigns! I am very excited because this has been a long time in the wings. Our new website is RedesignBoise.com. We are very pleased with the work our talented webmaster and graphic artist. April Brinkley, from Lipstick and Rouge Designs, is creative and caring. (lipstickandrougedesigns.com) We have been in business for four and a half years in Boise. It was time to update and simplify our look, info and our website all around.

As I was thinking about websites I thought I would share with you things to consider on a recycled article I wrote for IRIS (Interior Redesign Industry Specialists) Resource Newsletter a few years ago. I believe the information still applies to you today.

Whether you are a Redesigner, Home Stager, or any other type of Real Estate Professional, I believe the message applies to you. I hope these tips helps you as you look at your website and see what needs to be changed!

Going to the Next Level - Does Your Website Need A Redesign?

I have spent a lifetime of study in color, design, graphics and art. I am continually researching information on these subjects. We are in a "cutting edge" industry of Interior Redesign that stresses to "declutter" and simplify with an emphasis on the age old slogan of "less is more." Yet, some of the Interior Redesigner's websites throughout our industry appear "busy" and "cluttered." If a website is too congested with many fonts (lettering styles), pictures or graphics, it will appear to have a "cluttered" look instead of a "clean" look. Since first impressions are lasting impressions, then perhaps you may be losing business if your website does not appear to be organized and professional with flair of design. We must be constantly looking at ways to connect with future and current clients with creative ideas that are "unique and fresh." When prospective clients have a deep emotional involvement, they will help all of us move to the "next level."

When we do a redesign many times we look at a room and realize that the colors or styles are outdated. What do you need to take your website to the next level? Does your website need to be updated? Do you have an objective friend or family member that can give you an honest opinion on their first impression of your website? We live in a day where most people are too busy and experience "information overload."

Please consider the following ideas as you review your website:

1. Did you know that the bestselling books are written at a sixth grade reading level? Is your website easy to understand for the person who does not have cable TV or does not know about the concept of interior redesign? Do not use advanced interior redesign terms.

2. Do your fonts, colors and graphics match your logo or design style?

3. Do the fonts coordinate with your logo? To achieve an ideal layout be consistent with one dominant font style for your logo and headings. The balance of your text should be in one or two lighter or simpler font styles without serifs. A serif on a font is any short line stemming from the upper

and lower ends of the strokes of a letter. An example of a font with serifs is Times New Roman and one without serifs is Arial.

4. Do you have an excess of bolded items? If so, you will lose the impact of your text.

5. If your page is overwhelming it will not be investigated. I am usually drawn to a website that has a fresh look that is color coordinated and is balanced like a dynamic interior redesign. If not, then I will not even check out the rest of the website. I once did a redesign for a couple. The husband had a stressful job. When he would come home, he could not relax because the rooms were too disorganized. Even though they had some very nice furniture in their custom home, it did not feel peaceful. One space in particular that we improved was in the main hallway that had a whole grouping of family photos in various sizes, styles, frames and colors. I had them take all of the photos down, select their favorites, and put them in unified frames that we hung in different picture galleries throughout their home. We replaced the grouping with one large piece of artwork of a beautiful bird that was nicely framed. After the redesign the couple commented on how much more relaxed that area felt to them.

What response does your website give to people? Does it look warm and inviting? Does it make people feel like they can relax, grab a cup of coffee and stay a while as they research your website?

Does it feel clean and professional? If you cannot answer "Yes" to these questions, then it may be time to do a website redesign. Trust me when you do, you will go to the next level!

~Have a Colorful Day!

I am finally going to do it!  I am going to do the Susan G. Komen 5K walk/run with my local Curves group here in Boise.  It has been a few years since I have been in any kind of race or walk.  I thought it would be great to join my friends and support a great cause for cancer research.

We all know the importance of giving back to our communities.  I have been fortunate that no one in my family has ever had breast cancer.  Each time I get my yearly physical it is always a sigh of relief!  Unfortunately, I have had a few friends that have experienced breast cancer.  So, I am doing it for them.  I also think it is important to help in this worthy cause.  We have lost way too many friends and family with this disease.   If any of you would like to donate money in my name here is the link to do so:

My Race for the Cure Page - Irene Woodworth

To learn more about Komen Race for the Cure, click here:  http://komenboise.org

Actually, our new Curves Club owners just recently lost their sister and daughter to breast cancer.   So, it is very fresh in all of our minds and hearts.

Why did I choose to workout at Curves?

• It is quick workout, 30 minutes three times a week helps us so much.
• The environment is very supportive.
• It is also conducive to those of us over 40 years plus.
• It is in my neighborhood and I have made some wonderful friends there, too!

I also wanted to thank our new owners, Jan Cluff and her mother, Helen.  They have been wonderful to all of us.  They took over and painted right away to update our Curves for Women, Glenwood and State Streets in Boise, ID.   It is so much better in so many ways.   It is great to have our owners locally, too.  They are working hard to provide a community of real care and concern.  They are real encouragers and really care about their member's progress.   If any of you want to get in shape, Curves, is a safe and encouraging environment.  Check one out in your area.  To learn more about Curves for Women, click here: http://www.curvesinformation.com  You will be glad you did!

~ Have a Colorful Day!

Earlier this month, we went to San Luis Potosí, México. (My husband finished his final doctoral project there.) When I travel, I enjoy observing the trends of a city, especially from a design and color perspective. Since I am Hispanic, French and Irish, I felt like I had come full circle with some of the design preferences I have had all of my life. The colors of México are vibrant throughout the city. The people are very passionate and colorful as well. We saw several buildings and homes painted in orange, red-orange, red and gold colors. Some of their buildings even included bright indigo blue and bright green colors. Yes, they still had the off-white and brown tone colors. Nevertheless, you would see contrasts of those brighter colors sprinkled throughout the region.

The most prominent thing about the architecture is that most of the buildings are built vertically. They line up side by side. We did not see any yards, lawns or empty spaces between homes and commercial buildings like we have here in the United States. The commercial buildings and residential homes have indoor patios or yards usually walled off with wrought iron gates or solid metal doors. The wrought iron gates are either contemporary or in a traditional scroll style.



Historically, Latin countries create and use a variety of tile throughtout their designs. However, we were surprised to see how often they used tile on entire walls in their bathrooms, dining rooms and kitchens. They believe tile creates cleaner spaces.

When we visited the downtown historical section, it was like we were walking back in time. It looked very European. There were several amazing old and newer contemporary buildings mixed together. It was refreshing to see a few parks interspersed in between the buildings. Throughout history no matter how poor this city was, most of the money went into the local churches. The greatest architectural detail was usually displayed in a very dramatic fashion in these churches.



In summary, the colors and designs throughout San Luis Potosí, México were very bold, striking and distinct. Traveling gives you an opportunity to enrich your life, discover how others live and create memories that stay will with you forever!

~ Have a Colorful Day!

Dear Active Rain Family and Friends,

We were just published in the Idaho Statesman's Treasure Magazine April/May 2009 issue.

Here is the link to the article: "Makeover helps with healing and hope - Serena House Residents get a Welcoming Space"

This slick magazine only gets published 6 times per year. The article featured our Redesign Giveaway Project that we did this past Winter for the Boise Women's and Children's Alliance. The WCA hired a Media Specialist to generate press for this and their other projects. They even included a couple of links to our homepage!

We gave two WCA liaison staff members a Dewey Color Consultation. They liked the Brown Tones, which set the color palette for the entire Paint and Redesign Project. Everyone just loved it!

BTW, we just returned from our wonderful and successful Mexico trip for Dan's Doctoral Seminar. Our friend and mentor Dr. Vincent Kituku sent me an email of "Congratulations" while we were gone. (More about our trip later.) What an unexpected and fantastic surprise!

This is a miracle to finally get PR and exposure. Some things are worth waiting for!

To see other pictures of our Transformation you may go to: "The Color of Hope"

~Have a Colorful Day!