The Decor Fix Gets a Makeover!

A tiny part of me thought this day would never get here…It’s been months in the making, but today The Decor Fix relaunched with a whole new look!

Cue the streamers and a Justin Timberlake song playing in the background.

More than just a new look, there’s a lot that’s been going on behind-the-scenes of my little business that I’m stoked to share today too. (This is also one of those “state of the blog” type posts  where I’ll share why the changes needed to happen, what they mean for you, and some exciting NEW things coming soon.)

Pages to check out:
“About” page: I poured my heart and story into it this time (and maybe even included a picture of my 5 year old self)
“Services” page: If you’ve been curious as to how decor coaching works, this page now has all the details you need to know & what clients are saying about it.
“Classes” page:  Major updates coming soon, but until then click over and pop your name on the list to be notified when classes launch.
“Decor Jumpstart” page: If you’re stuck in a decorating rut, this guide is my gift to you:) Once you sign up, you’ll get access to a video, guide, and worksheet.
“Resources” page: Updated to help you find what you need faster and easier.

WHY THE CHANGES?
For the last couple years, in addition to running this blog I had maintained a second website for my local design business. I had two brands, two websites, two emails, two Facebook pages.

Too flippin’ much for me to handle.

This year (after reading a life-changing book), I got really focused on streamlining. Closing my design site and merging it with The Decor Fix just made sense. Which meant that this site had to function not only as a blog but also a full website for my clients.

Oh, and my client work shifted in a MAJOR way too.

After officially launching decor coaching last year (which at the time was the first of its kind), I realized this method of teaching people how to design their own spaces was clicking. For me. For my clients. For my family. While I’ll always love designing rooms in person, the bulk of my work now takes place via email, FaceTime and Skype.

This new site needed to house and reflect the web-based work that I’m currently do (and LOVE).

Another huge reason? Online decorating classes are coming, and this site will be their home. More details on that soon:)

NEW BRANDING
Giving your brand a facelift is no easy task. Not if you really dig deep and make it meaningful.

Hmmm, sound familiar?

I knew I needed professional help to pull off the look that was floating around in my head and landed on the jackpot when I met Laura of Laura Kathryn Creative. Back in April we started the style exploration phase. We took into consideration not only my personal aesthetic but also my brand values and what I wanted people to feel when they came to my site.  The end of that phase resulted in mood board below.

How weird would it be to print and frame this? I love it that much…

Top left photo via a fav blogger’s bedside table via Kristen of Bliss @Home.

Then Laura got to work. (Enter many, many emails back and forth.) Laura’s translation of my vision to the visual identity of logos, font combinations, brand colors, and graphic elements was spot on. I’d never invested in full branding before and was really nervous laying down the coin to do so. I’m 100% glad I decided to get an expert’s help. (In the end, I heard myself telling Laura the same kinds of things my coaching clients tell me. Lol.)

“Aahhh! I love it! You took the hodge podge ideas in my head and made them real!” 

“This was worth every penny!”

“Why did this take me so long to do?!?” 

I always felt like my brand was wearing hand-me-down clothes. But not anymore. For the first time in the four years since I started this site, it finally feels like ME.

LADIES BEHIND THE UPDATES
The biggest change to the site can’t be seen if you’re just reading a blog post. The home page got the bulk of the makeover and now serves as a true “home” for each aspect of The Decor Fix and where it’s headed.

Lisette of High Note Designs is my web developer and a coding queen. This lady has put up with me for not one, but now two major changes to the site. She’s answered calls and texts at totally crazy hours of the night, and I’d be completely helpless without her. The amount of homemade brownies and glasses of wine I owe her are too many to count.

Also many of the new images you’ll see on the site are by favorite local photographer, Meg of Meg White Photography.  Apart from the fact that each time we meet we realize we have even more mutual friends (small town), we just click creatively. Working with her has been a dream, and you’ll see more of her work on the site soon.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE BLOG?
Less but better is definitely my approach to blogging these days. Writing a quality blog post with original photos takes a lot of time and is actually a full-time job for many lovely ladies that I admire. (Like this one and this one and this one.) Full-time bloggers typically post several times a week because creating new content is their job.

That’s not the case here. The bulk of my time has to be spent on the work I do with clients since this is how I make a living. Because time is precious, I’d rather wait and only post really “meaty” stuff  even it’s less often. I’d like to create each post as a resource to help you, which means not every idea is a good fit.

Here’s what you can expect to get from the me the rest of 2015:

(4-5 times a week)
“Mini-posts” on Instagram including advice and snapshots of my home, projects, and finds.

(Bi-weekly)
Blog posts on decorating with intention, design tips, and resources.

If you sign up for my “Decor Chats”, you’ll get blog updates as well as free advice emails (not shared on the blog) sent a couple times a month via email. This is really the best way to keep in touch with what’s going on here.

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember my journey from hobby blogger to business owner. Even when I relaunched the blog as The Decor Fix this time last year, I had a glimpse of where I wanted things to go but was still working out the kinks of building a brand, understanding what I stood for as a designer, and juggling client work.

It’s been a whirlwind of a year, friends. Here’s the highlight reel…

-Launched decor coaching services and worked with over 100 clients world-wide.
-Started work with 3 new local clients and finished 4 local design projects (pics on the way:)
-Created a free decorating guide called the “Decor Jumpstart”. (You can get it here!)
-Made some amazing new friends on Instagram and grown a community of nearly 10K who I love chatting with each day.
-Planned the first of my online decorating classes that will launch later this year
-Had creative consulting sessions with 11 new business owners to give clarity on their blog/service/design business.

The last 8 months have been full of reworking, growing pains, adapting and flat out hustle. There was also a lot of sweat, tears, late nights and maybe some stress eating.

You can tell what kind of day it is by the amount of sugar I consumed.

(Don’t hate on me, Whole 30 people.)

Today is a big day in part of that hustle paying off when the things in my heart and my head are coming to life. Will you help me celebrate?

Connecting with some of you in your sweet emails, on Instagram or in the blog comments has meant so much and actually had a lot to do with the new changes here.

As someone who once struggled to find my style, stay within my budget, and decorate a home that worked for my family, I totally empathize with each message that shows up in my inbox.

I get it.

I know what it feels like to see gorgeous rooms on Pinterest and feel both longing and resentment.

I get how frustrating it can be when your hopes and dreams for your home don’t line up
with your budget or your current abode.

I totally understand feeling confused about what works together
in a space and not knowing what to do first.

But here’s the deal-you don’t have to stay stuck there. The main thing I want you to know is this… it’s not a race. It’s not a competition. It’s a journey to accept our homes with gratitude while also learning new ways to create a space filled with purpose and meaningful beauty.

If this sounds good to you, stick around. I’m ready to help.

This is my heart for The Decor Fix and whatever it becomes…and whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just joined us in the journey, I’m so happy you’re here. Settle in, grab a glass of sweet tea, and relax a while:)