December 2, 2025 • 44 mins
Come and listen to our Host, Tina Spoletini, as she chats with today's guest, Shelly Reimer, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.
For more than 15 years, Shelly has been transforming spaces into beautiful, welcoming places that not only sell—but inspire. From staging vacant homes and styling show homes to reimagining the spaces her clients already live in, she has a seasoned eye and a true passion for helping people rediscover the joy of home. Shelly loves seeing that magical moment when someone falls in love with their space all over again, and she’s here today to share how creating a home you love can mirror creating a life you love.
https://www.facebook.com/shelly.reimer.96?
We explore how creating a home you love can mirror creating a life you love, moving from trends to meaning, and from clutter to calm. Shelly Rhymer shares practical ways to start small, trust the process, and build spaces that feel safe, warm, and deeply personal.
• meaning-rich design over trend-led styling
• decluttering as mindful redistribution and reset
• reading personality from objects and arrangements
• slow decorating to observe light and habits
• starting small with one high-impact room
• prioritising budgets and phasing upgrades
• using existing pieces to craft story vignettes
• choosing palettes and scale that fit the space
• trusting the process while keeping non-negotiables
• self care through bedrooms, offices, and daily rituals
• no judgement entry into real, lived-in homes
For more Divas That Care Network Episodes visit www.divasthatcare.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
It's Divas That Care Radio.
Stories, strategies, and ideasto inspire positive change.
Welcome to Divas That Care, anetwork of women committed to
making our world a better placefor everyone.
This is a global movement forwomen, by women engaged in a
collaborative effort to create abetter world for future
generations.
(00:20):
To find out more about themovement, visit divas that
care.com after the show.
Right now, though, stay tunedfor another jolt of inspiration.
SPEAKER_02 (00:31):
Welcome to Confidence in Bloom, the podcast
that reminds you that confidenceisn't about becoming someone
new.
It's about coming home toyourself.
I'm your host, Tina Spolotini.
For this season, we're embracingthe theme End of Year, Beginning
of Me, a time to pause, reflect,and let go of what no longer
serves you.
Together, we'll explore realstories and soulful insights to
(00:54):
help you quiet that itty bittyshitty committee, release the
shoulds that weigh you down, andstep into the new year grounded
in self-love, clarity, andconfidence.
Let's begin today's conversationwith Shelly Rhymer.
For more than 15 years, Shellyhas been transforming spaces
into beautiful, welcoming placesthat not only sell but inspire.
(01:17):
From staging vacant homes andstyling show homes to
reimagining the spaces herclients already live in.
She has a seasoned eye and atrue passion for helping people
rediscover the joy of home.
Shelley loves seeing thatmagical moment when someone
falls in love with their spaceall over again.
And she's here today to sharehow creating a home you love can
(01:39):
mirror creating a life you love.
Welcome, Shelly.
Hello.
So maybe tell us a little bitmore about yourself and how you
like dress up home.
So let maybe talk about that.
SPEAKER_01 (01:53):
Okay.
I kind of feel like um for me,anyways, um, I have a huge
passion in home decor, but Ialso have I love clothing and
jewelry and all of that.
So for me, um, they kind of gothey go together that way.
So yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (02:13):
I can tell.
That's when I met you.
I was like, oh my God, I lovethe way she dresses.
SPEAKER_01 (02:17):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like they they go hand in handto me.
I think um how you dress andalso how your home sometimes
looks like.
I think they're bothreflections.
SPEAKER_02 (02:30):
I think so too.
Although I will say this I met alady once that I used to meet
her, I used to see her inchurch.
Yeah.
And um, her husband ended updoing some work for us, and he
invited us to her house.
I can't remember what it wasfor, but it was like just a
walkthrough.
And I used to think this womanwas always done up with makeup,
always had nice clothes.
Like she looked always like amillion bucks.
(02:51):
Well put together.
And I will add this, she doesshe had four or five kids, you
know, she had a full house.
And we walked into her house,she wasn't there, and it was not
nearly what I expected, right?
And and not that that's a badthing because it wasn't like a
pig's pen.
I would never give that title.
Yeah, but at the same time, Iwas like, wow, she looks put
(03:12):
together, yeah, right.
And I come to her house, but Imean, I don't know what anyone
would say about my house, right?
I my house is always, in myopinion, it's kind of messy, but
I like to have things in order,right?
SPEAKER_01 (03:25):
There's always something so then do you think
that's a reflection a little biton you then?
SPEAKER_02 (03:30):
Like I don't know, like I that and that's what
what's making me question thatnow because I like to have
things in order, but I don'tknow necessarily how people are
viewing me when they see me,right?
Right?
Yeah, so I don't know if it's areflection, but I know exactly
what you mean when you say, youknow, the way we dress is a
reflection of how we have ourhome.
SPEAKER_01 (03:51):
Yeah, like I'll I'll be with clients that um I'll be
at their homes and and it's notthere's a difference between a
mess and dirty.
So I mean not dirty, I meanthere's just there's stuff,
there's lots of stuff.
Um, and that is sometimes I canalways like like and it's
(04:13):
everywhere, and there's notreally homes for things
properly, and it's just it'sit's chaos.
And then, but they're kind ofalso chaos, right?
So it's kind of your homesometimes is a bit of a
reflection.
Like I always like before I needwith I'm at home, I need to have
everything neat and tidy, andthen I feel focused that I can
(04:37):
do things.
SPEAKER_02 (04:38):
Oh my god, I love that.
And that's that's actually whatI wanted to ask you is how you
when you walk into a person'shouse, yeah, how do you see like
um what like what do you learnabout that person as soon as you
walk into their house?
So it's funny that you know yousay that because my daughter,
she has a chaotic mind, right?
And I know that I mean, growingup, she was always like, you
(05:01):
know, today they call it ADHD.
I don't believe that's what itis.
So we had her tested, she's notADHD, but yeah, I know that her
mind is always doing four thingsat once.
At least she used to keep whenshe was little, she used to keep
her room really tidy.
Yeah, but when she got older,like into the teenage years, you
know, the chaos, as everyteenager does, I I will, you
(05:22):
know, throw that in there.
But yeah, I couldn't believe themess that she would create.
And then when she moved out, Iwas like, You gotta fix this,
man.
Like your brain has got tosettle down because if you don't
fix your environment, your brainwon't settle down.
And if your brain doesn't settledown, your environment is gonna
stay like this.
Man, it took her three or fouryears to really hone in on that,
(05:46):
you know, that organizationskill.
And I think does she feel betternow?
I think she's got it, and Inotice now, okay, she's also 24.
We all reach that age where westart to settle, but I see a
difference.
Yeah, yeah.
My room was always tidy, I'vealways kept my room tidy.
Yeah, right.
And I used to say to them,that's the place where you need
(06:07):
to go and be alone, right?
And you know this because thisis your job, yeah, right.
That you have to sleep here.
If you can't sleep with calmnessaround you, you'll your life is
gonna be crazy, right?
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
I feel yeah, I I agree.
I totally agree with that.
And I actually, it's funnybecause I'll go into some
people's houses.
There's different scenarios.
I say I'm helping clients, um,and they're like they're needing
some new furniture and some art,and they're just wanting their
house, you know, designed anddecorated and to feel more cozy.
(06:40):
And oftentimes I prefer a housethat actually has lots of chaos
and has lots of stuff because Ican see that they have some
sense of style.
Like I can I can see whatthey're attracted to, right?
But if you go into a home thathas nothing, you're like, you
can't even sometimes tell whattheir favorite color is, right?
(07:03):
Or like you can you can read alot by how much stuff somebody
has.
SPEAKER_02 (07:09):
That is super interesting, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (07:12):
Yeah, and I would have never an empty home.
It's like I I can't sometimesget a feel of what their
personality is, right?
SPEAKER_02 (07:20):
So if you walk into a house and they have, you know,
maybe not a theme, but you canyou can sort of tell the things
that they like by the the amountand by the stuff that they have.
Oh, that is super interesting.
See, I would have thought it'sit's easier on a plain, like a
(07:40):
no, it's hard for me to get afeel.
SPEAKER_01 (07:43):
It's I guess that makes sense because you're
pulling like you're pullingquestions from them, like what
colors do you like?
If you have art on the walls,are you attracted to more
landscapes or abstracts or butwhen there's nothing, there's
just it's it's hard.
SPEAKER_02 (07:59):
Oh my gosh.
Okay, that has answered so manyquestions for me because I'm I'm
struggling with my own house,right?
Because this is our secondhouse, right?
We brought, of course, all ourstuff from our old house into
this house, and I it doesn't fitfor me, right?
I've moved it around, I've done,and I'm like, it just isn't
working.
Yeah, but I guess that like thatwould make sense when you come,
(08:20):
you're gonna be coming into myhouse, but when you do come into
my house, I already have someideas because we've talked about
this.
There's right, and you'll beable to say, okay, this, you
know, like I don't know, is iteasier?
Like, you wouldn't say get ridof this, you would just say,
let's put it away for a year ortwo.
SPEAKER_01 (08:36):
Right.
Or I would like for you and I'vehad this discussion that you
again like you have somefurniture that's um too large or
it's not fitting into this home,but you also have lots of stuff
that is important to you andyour husband because it's your
mother-in-law made it and it'simportant to you, so that's good
(08:57):
for me to know, and then we canwork with that, right?
I would love to keep those keypieces that mean something
because that's what a home is.
Everything should have somemeaning to it, right?
SPEAKER_02 (09:11):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (09:11):
You don't want to just to have it.
No, and I think we that's likeeverybody's like, What's the
trend?
What's happening?
You know, I I sometimes don'talways like to decorate.
I mean, a show home and astaging is totally different
than somebody's home.
SPEAKER_02 (09:27):
This is true, right?
SPEAKER_01 (09:29):
Like those are different things.
Right.
I think a home should make youfeel it's your sanctuary, it
should make you feel cozy, feelwarm, it makes you feel safe.
SPEAKER_02 (09:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:42):
You know, so it needs to have um stuff that's
important to you.
SPEAKER_02 (09:46):
Yeah.
I used to tell my kids when Iwould make the when I was, you
know, teaching them how toclean, it needs to look like a
show home when you're done.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's the only time I want myhouse to look like a show home,
right?
Is when when it's clean.
SPEAKER_01 (09:59):
My my children bug me about that all the time.
Is that it's doesn't have to bea show home mom.
And I'm like, but it does, youknow, it does because that makes
me feel like I have thingsorganized.
And exactly for me, exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (10:16):
I like that.
That's exactly how I mean I Iknow it's my stuff, and you
know, I'm not selling it orwhatever, and I'm not selling my
house, but I want it to feelclean, and that to me feels
clean, right?
SPEAKER_01 (10:26):
Right, it's what I do for a living.
So I I can have a home thatdoesn't is in disarray and is a
you know, it's that's how it is.
But yeah, yeah, I love that.
So we had this running joke thatwe uh started some puzzles at
Thanksgiving um with my parentsand the kids, and we like
whizzed through two of thesepuzzles because they were like
(10:48):
500 pieces.
So then we thought, oh, we'regetting good at this.
So we went and got athousand-piece puzzle.
Well, it didn't get finished.
Oh no, so it has been sitting onmy dining table.
Like, what are we going on threeweeks?
SPEAKER_02 (11:03):
Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_01 (11:04):
And so finally last night I said to my daughter, I
said, I we got to do somethingwith this.
Because I'm working on so manyprojects right now.
So I have little piles like inmy office, down the hall, in my
living room, and I can't eventhink anymore.
Like, I just I can't live likethis.
So I'm like, but I don't want toput the puzzle in the box
(11:26):
because it was too hard and Idon't want to start all over.
So we're gonna figure somethingout, but I'm like, I it can't
stay here.
SPEAKER_02 (11:32):
You could buy those, I don't know where, but you can
buy these little they're likefolding tables, but they you put
a puzzle in it, but it's alreadyon my table.
SPEAKER_01 (11:40):
I don't I you know what we did was we we're gonna
try this.
We went and bought like abristle board, and I'm gonna try
to slide it on that.
That's what I would suggest toyou.
And then the loose pieces I'veput into a box, and um yeah,
because my daughter's like,well, let's just leave this till
Christmas.
I'm like, Christmas.
(12:00):
No, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_02 (12:03):
Oh my god, that would be me.
I'd be like, Are you crazy?
SPEAKER_01 (12:06):
Yeah, no, I can't, yeah, I can't do it.
SPEAKER_02 (12:08):
I get it.
So I'm I'm curious to know whenyou walk into someone's house
and you are able to like makethat transformation that they're
looking for.
Yeah, yeah.
I know, I know with myself andpast experience, it's a
transformation that I go throughas the homeowner.
Right.
So I'd like to share with ourlisteners maybe an example of
(12:31):
something that has happened inyour experience, like that
transformed a client.
SPEAKER_01 (12:37):
Yeah.
I kind of because I have a diffso many different like avenues
of what I do, whether I'mworking with a brand new home or
existing homes that clients livein, or I'm staging a vacant
property, you know, I have so Ihave kind of a bunch of
different scenarios that havehappened, but um I kind of think
the most transformation thatpeople see often is um if I'm
(13:04):
going to do a consultation withclients who are listing their
homes to put onto the market andwe're using what they have.
And so I always say to them, Ihave no attachment to your
stuff.
I'm here to get your house sold.
I'm that's what I'm here for.
(13:24):
I said, and I'm also a fresh setof eyes to your stuff.
And so once I, you know, helpthem, and um, I don't like to do
like the list and give them thelist of all the things that they
have to do.
I'm like, let's get going, let'sdo this now, because it's they
actually can see the differencethat it makes when we actually
(13:45):
physically start doing things.
Oh, yeah.
Um, so oftentimes, like I'llmove their furniture placement
around and they're like, oh, Inever thought of it this way.
Or I'll just I'll move, youknow, some of their art to their
accessories, or and or I'll takeum, I was with clients last week
(14:05):
and they had all this beautifullike pottery and ceramics that
her husband made.
And like I went right throughtheir kitchen cabinets and I'm
taking stuff out, and they had abeautiful book collection, and
so I'm like just stacking somebooks with a piece of his
beautiful pottery bowl, and itlooks so neat, and it has a
personality now to it.
(14:26):
Then, you know, and they'relike, Oh, and so they're like,
We have lived here for like 15years, and we love our house
now, and so they either werelike, We don't want to sell,
which of course they are, butthey'll often say that, or
they're like, Can you come withus to our new home?
And I'm like, Of course, right?
SPEAKER_02 (14:48):
Yeah, especially now that you know, like you know
that like what you moved in theold house, what their reaction
to that was, yeah.
You know, like you have an ideaof where to start in the new.
Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_01 (14:59):
Yeah, and oftentimes if I'm working with people that
I'm either helping them um gettheir house listed and then they
put it on the market and theysell it and then they buy
something new, often they bringme with them to the new home.
And then we're keeping keypieces, and I love using that
and then incorporating it withsome new pieces.
SPEAKER_02 (15:18):
And right, yeah, yeah.
And then you have an idea whenyou see the house that they want
to buy is oh yeah, that would begreat.
Like you could put your pianohere, or you know, if if I don't
know if grandfather boxes existanymore, but you know, you you
can find the right walls for theright pieces.
I love that.
SPEAKER_01 (15:34):
Oh yeah, and oftentimes, like I'll have
measurements of their furnitureexisting that they want to
incorporate.
Um, and then when they're eitherbuilding or they're buying new,
then we we know where that'sgoing to work.
I have a couple of I have um oneclient that I told, and the
other thing that I love with myjob is I get to really know my
(15:55):
clients.
And I absolutely, I have thebest clients.
I absolutely adore them.
I have one um husband and wifethat I worked with them.
Oh gosh, are we going on to twoor three years ago?
And she's like one of my biggestcheerleaders.
Like if I'm posting anything onInstagram or whatever, she's
(16:16):
sending me a message like, yougot this, you can do this.
And anyways, um they were asecond marriage, so they were
incorporating furniture andpieces from their homes.
They sold the home and then theywere building brand new with one
of a builder that I work with.
And this home was totallydifferent looking than what
(16:37):
their existing home was, butthey had some really special
pieces that they wanted to bringto this new home, like um a
floor lamp that was hergrandma's, and this beautiful
black rocking chair.
And she's like, I'm like, youcan't get rid of that.
Like, we need we'll incorporateit.
And it looks so so now they havethis brand new, much more
(17:00):
contemporary home, but it's gotstories to it, right?
SPEAKER_02 (17:05):
I love that I love that because, and you know this
yourself, you can walk intohomes and that they they sort of
like um decorated andaccessorized for the trend or
for the style, yeah, and there'sno character, right?
But you add in like an oldrocking chair and a grandma is a
floor lamp, like yeah, it's oldso cool.
(17:26):
Yeah, and it but it makes theroom like it gives it a story,
right?
It's like when you look at aperson, you can make up a story,
even you don't even have to knowthe person, but you can sort of
see what their life has beenlike.
Yeah, and that's we can do thatwith a home, right?
I love that, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (17:45):
Your home should be somewhere that, like I said,
makes you feel you want to comehome to it, and you it makes you
feel safe and secure.
And um, I love it when friendsor I have sometimes host events
or I have clients at my home andthey the biggest compliment, and
my style may not be their styleby any means, but it's how it
(18:08):
makes them feel, right?
SPEAKER_02 (18:10):
And that's but that's the at the end of the
day, that's what you're lookingfor, right?
Is that how did you make thisperson feel or this family feel?
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
Yeah, yeah, and they are like it just your home makes
me feel calm and relaxed.
SPEAKER_02 (18:23):
Right.
And so I use you made a comment,you said um it's not my style.
So does that mean that all yourhouses are the same?
Or do you sort of have itdepends on the person that's
living in the house, right?
Like you can read them and feelkind of what they like, and
that's how you work.
SPEAKER_01 (18:40):
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Like I have a couple of clientsthat it's not my it's not my
taste, but it means something tothem.
So that's let's make that work.
SPEAKER_02 (18:51):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_01 (18:52):
And that's that's where the taking their old
furniture comes in, or theiryeah, or their collections of
records, or you know, I havesome clients where we've taken
their collection of records,some of them that are important
to them, and we've framed themand we've made like a vignette
on a wall with their stuffbecause it's important to them.
SPEAKER_02 (19:11):
Oh my gosh.
Okay, so that makes me think mydad, when he moved into his
house, he had thousands ofrecords, like thousands of
records.
Yeah, unfortunately, they moveda few times and didn't know what
to do with them, and they gotmoved into the garage, they
froze, they unfroze, they froze,like you know, and he ended up
just throwing them out, and hewas heartbroken, like he was so
(19:32):
attached.
But now when I hear this, wecould have taken some of those
and done something.
Yeah, you know, I don't know ifmy mom would have been okay with
that, you know, because they'rein a small space, but you know,
even if we would have justtaken, you know, even the top
20, like his most favorite kindof thing.
So I guess too bad, Dad.
Sorry.
Okay, let's get let's get backto like what we're doing here.
(19:55):
So we're we're coming close tothe year to ending 2026.
Can you believe it?
I can't believe it.
I'm like, I can't believe it'sthis late.
So many of us, you know, we kindof reflect on you know what
we've done, what we haven'tdone.
Right.
Um, what is your process forlike resetting a space or a
mindset for a fresh start?
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
I think for myself, um the I think the best thing,
and I do think a lot of peoplealso is, and some people maybe
need help with it, um, isdecluttering and just getting
rid of what you're not usinganymore, whether that is your
(20:38):
home, home stuff or it's yourclothing.
I think just I thinkdecluttering and getting rid of,
and whether that's and I don'tmean by throwing it away, I mean
by gifting it to maybe somebodywho needs that, or donating it,
or giving it to a shelter, orthere's so many different
avenues of what you can do withstuff in your home.
(21:00):
But I think that just sets thetone, kind of a clearing for the
new year.
SPEAKER_02 (21:07):
Yeah.
And and I, you know, just to addto that, um, there's lots of
things that we have that webought and used for a certain
purpose, but we can alwaysrepurpose them, like we can put
them to use somewhere else.
I mean, like in your house, youhave that, you know, that in an
African culture, it's anecklace.
(21:28):
Right now, here in Canada, youwould never wear that as a
necklace, right?
But you you hung it up on yourwall and it looks absolutely
beautiful, right?
I mean, we can do things likethat, right?
I remember my mom and dad had aum a rosary from Italy and it
was made out of chestnuts.
Oh, so I mean, imagine it washuge, like it covered their bed
because in the 70s, apparently,that was a style.
(21:50):
Yeah, and I remember thinking,what would you ever do with
that?
Yeah, like okay, hang it overyour bed, but that's kind of
weird.
I think that's kind of weird.
But there's so many.
SPEAKER_01 (22:00):
Um, next time if we do this, I'll have to um go
through my photos.
I and we can I can do show yousome photos of different homes
that I've I have a client thatshe's from um Portugal, and so
we were uh she was wanting somenew furniture, so we were kind
of space planning for her livingroom and her bait, like her main
(22:22):
areas of her home.
And we were kind of um, and shehad lots of furniture, they move
all the time, and she's great,beautiful, like her taste is
amazing.
Um, and so but it just didn'tfit in this space, and so we
just were, you know, movingfurniture around from we had I
had my movers come and we movedit into different areas of the
(22:44):
home.
And then what we decided wasn'tgonna work, she um donated, and
uh, but she had all of thisbeautiful, like the rosary, you
know, she had ceramics andbooks, and and we just placed
them, like all them.
We just made little vignettesthroughout her home.
SPEAKER_02 (23:03):
And my house was like a house in Europe, like it
that's the what I'm the theideas that I'm getting.
It's like a European home.
SPEAKER_01 (23:11):
And we just re-hung some of her art because a lot of
times people will have, youknow, especially if it's um from
somewhere, like it's not usuallya big scale, and so a lot of
times it doesn't fit on theselarge walls.
So we just kind of made littlevignettes with all of her
little, you know, pieces of art.
And she I I remember I went homethat day and she sent me a text
(23:34):
and she said, Thank you.
Like she just said, I every turnI make in my home, it just it
has so many memories.
Oh, you're making me so excited.
SPEAKER_02 (23:43):
I want to do this right now.
SPEAKER_01 (23:46):
Oh my god, so yeah, like I it makes me it makes me
feel um I like that.
Like it makes me feel that Ifeel like I've done something
and I've done my job and I'velistened to what's important to
them.
And it makes me happy that theyfeel happy.
SPEAKER_02 (24:02):
Absolutely.
And so with that, I mean, you'reyou're all I mean, you're
creating a beautiful space forthem, right?
And now that they're enjoyingthat space, I mean, obviously,
you've learned so many thingsabout creating like a life that
you love and your clients, yeah,and not just that picture
perfect, right?
Like, I mean, you walk into ahouse that's well organized and
(24:24):
you think, is this really ahouse?
Like I walked into your houseand I'm like, like, seriously,
like this is way too beautiful,right?
And I I mean, my house, I have abeautiful house, but it's not
decorated the way I would loveit.
I know that, right?
So I walk into yours and I'mlike, oh my God, does this woman
really live like this?
Right.
But then when you like, youknow, you and I sat on the couch
(24:45):
and had coffee, like we werelike, oh my God, this is so like
I just felt so relaxed and atpeace, right?
And it made me realize thatyeah, you can live in a house
that's picture perfect.
SPEAKER_01 (24:57):
And I always tell people, like, I kind of call it
like slow decorating, like,especially if you move into a
new home, like live in the homefor a little bit because you
never know how you're going touse certain rooms.
And um, so yeah, definitely livein it for a while.
See how you're gonna use thosespaces.
(25:18):
Each room during the day, thesun may be different, you know,
like each room might make youfeel different, uh, you know,
throughout the seasons.
And um like pick spaces thatwe're gonna start working on.
And you don't have to do thewhole home, but have a game plan
so that it all makes sense.
But it all most people can't doa whole home.
(25:42):
The reality of it is, right?
All at once.
SPEAKER_02 (25:45):
Okay, so when you say that, what why is that?
Like what does that mean?
SPEAKER_01 (25:50):
So oftentimes if somebody's moving into a brand
new home, if they all need allnew furniture, or I always tell
them, you know, bring what youcan.
And if we need some newfurniture, some new art, you
know, that sort of stuff, let'spick certain areas of the home
to start with.
Like it's you maybe your livingroom and do that first.
(26:12):
And then we move on to the bonusroom or the you know, like
typically a basement's like thelast thing that gets done, like
because a lot of it's expensive,right?
SPEAKER_02 (26:22):
Right, right.
And so, like you might come intoa house and say, okay, you know,
I if I you're coming into myhouse and say, first thing I
want is I want I need a newpaint.
I don't like the paint on mywalls, yeah, right.
So I mean we're gonna do thewhole house.
I want the whole house the same.
Yeah, right.
Yeah, and so then okay, we'regonna go with that.
But we're like as far asdecorating, if we're changing
furniture, let's start whereyour budget works, right?
(26:45):
So if it's your living room,we're gonna start with your
living room, but you'll alsohave ideas for the rest of the
house that needs, am I right?
SPEAKER_01 (26:52):
Yeah, yes, okay, and I think that's kind of a lot of
times where I have a lot ofpeople reach out to me is that
they think they're gonna do thison their own.
And then they're like, we get toHome Sense or wherever, and we
just buy all of this stuff andwe bring it home and it doesn't
look good.
Like we don't know what to dowith it.
It's just a bunch of little likethere's no rhyme or reason, and
(27:13):
so we've wasted our time, andthen that's where I've I come
in.
unknown (27:19):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (27:19):
And so just out of curiosity, is Home Sense like a
good place to go?
Because I've heard I've like yesand no, right?
I like HomeSense, I love walkingthrough HomeSense, but I find I
don't want that stuff in myhouse.
Yeah, I mean, there's a fewthings that I find that I'm
like, oh yeah, I could use this.
There's a few things and morethings that I would like to
(27:42):
admit that I take home, I put inthe spot, yeah, and I don't love
it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:46):
Like I'm like, ah, I wish you'd I think a lot of
times people will go there andnot always have um they're kind
of just going there to look.
And so to me, it's like it's sooverwhelming.
There's vases, there's lamps,there's pillow, like, but if you
don't go with a game plan, thenyou're just bringing stuff home.
SPEAKER_02 (28:07):
Yeah, and I think that's happened to me many
times.
SPEAKER_01 (28:10):
So I mean all these little vases are gonna look
great, but that there's no rhymeor reason to it.
SPEAKER_02 (28:16):
Yeah, yeah, I get that.
Now, in the last you had made acomment about, you know, when
you're moving into a new home,live there for a while.
Right.
Yeah.
So I I'm just asking becauseI've been in my house 13 years.
I have changed my living roomfurniture twice since I've been
here.
Okay.
And it's still not there.
I I think 13 years is too long,right?
(28:39):
Like I almost feel like thatlittle while, we passed that
little while, right?
And it went, we we kind of werelike, I don't know what to do
now.
SPEAKER_01 (28:49):
But knowing now what I like that we've met and we've
talked, I'm just wondering, andI kind of get this oftentimes
from clients that when they moveinto a home and if they've been
there for a while, oftentimestheir kids are young.
Yeah, they're busy, right?
Like the home isn't a priority.
(29:10):
They're they're taking they'reraising their kids, um, they're
taking the children to sports,to activities, to school.
And then as they get older andeven move out, then you're
you're in your home, you know,and it's well, and I think the
different, you know, everything,everybody's life is different at
different stages.
SPEAKER_02 (29:31):
Yeah, I think you're right.
I think because now when I thinkback 13 years ago, I mean my
kids were young, quite young,and I was so busy running them
around and you know, doing allthe mother things that my house,
yeah, you're right.
I mean, I still did it.
I still, I mean, I bought thisbeautiful vase.
It was like a$700 vase.
I fell in love with it when Isaw it.
(29:52):
And you know, my kids know tothis day like you tiptoe around
this vase, like you touch thatvase, and mom will break your
head, right?
And And it's, you know, I'mburied in it.
Yeah, but that is gonna be avase that will be, you know,
still displayed when you come.
But I, you know, I know that Imissed out.
Like my house before was fullydecorated and I loved it.
(30:13):
It just felt so home like to me.
And so this one is like, I justhaven't felt that yet.
So I mean, obviously for ourlisteners that are, you know,
are listening, you know, don'tgive up, right?
That's the lesson I'm gettingout of this.
Like, I mean, I don't love myhouse as much as I loved my
first house.
I I have to be honest with that.
But you know, my kids grew uphere, right?
(30:34):
And I'm not ready to move,right?
I'm not, I don't know where Iwant to go next, right?
And so I'm like, this is gonnahave to be, but I have to make
it more cozy, more like youknow, like more like I want to
be here.
All right.
Yeah, so yeah, let's carry on.
I want to know something elsewhen someone is, you know,
(30:55):
feeling stuck, you know, I guesskind of like what I've been
feeling.
Yeah, you know, it could beeither with my house or in my
personal life.
Yeah, um, what's one small thingthat you would give as advice to
make them feel maybe a littleempowered or inspired?
SPEAKER_01 (31:12):
I think for me, like even just like listening to you,
I think it's just really askingyou a lot of questions of you
know, why you're stuck, whatwould you know, like it's just
really getting to know deepdown, because sometimes the
stuck is maybe other things orwhatever, right?
(31:32):
But if we're then like forinstance, with your home, I
think maybe we pick an area thatyou spend a lot of time in,
whether it's you know, yourliving room, which is a lot of
homes are open concepts.
So the living room is kind oflike the main area.
Maybe it's your bedroom, um,your office where you do
podcasts.
Like maybe we start with thatroom and really figure out what
(31:56):
would make it feel special andand start there.
And then once you get thatfeeling of what that is, then we
then it would expand.
SPEAKER_02 (32:05):
I love I love the idea of that because as you're
saying that I'm like goingthrough my entire house and I'm
like, okay, I got lots of workcoming.
But start small, right?
SPEAKER_01 (32:14):
Yeah, yeah, like start with the the small main
areas and and go from there.
SPEAKER_02 (32:21):
Okay, all right.
Okay, so well, I'm getting somuch more inspired now.
Yeah, what are common mistakesthat people make when they try
to, you know, create aninspiring spot in their house,
right?
How do you guide them?
Like, how did like how like ifyou walk into my house and I'm
like, I want you to fix this,right?
But then you suggest somethingand I'm like, whoa, that's too
(32:42):
much.
Like I remember our last housewhen we were decorated, she
painted all the doors.
Yeah, like we had seven or eightdifferent colors throughout the
house, right?
Everything is a different color,and I was like, Oh my god, you
know, coming from whitebaseboards, white doors, and you
know, we had like a beigey wall,that was it, right?
Yeah, that was scary for me.
SPEAKER_01 (33:01):
Yeah, yeah.
I think sometimes, like I said,I really get to know my clients.
So I get to know what I canpush, you know, where and I
always say to them, trust theprocess, like, trust me, you've
hired me.
I'm not gonna guide you wrong.
I'm not going to create a homethat is not comfortable for you,
(33:25):
right?
Like, for instance, for me, Iwould never I love to wear navy,
I love the color of navy, but Idon't want it in my house,
right?
So I think it's I'm not ifthere's something that you do
not like, I'm not gonna give itto you because it's you're not
(33:45):
going to like it.
SPEAKER_02 (33:47):
Oh my gosh, yeah, that makes sense.
SPEAKER_01 (33:50):
Yeah, that totally makes sense.
Navy, I stage with navy all thetime because it's a color that
people do like photographsreally well, but I don't want it
in my house.
SPEAKER_02 (34:03):
Yeah, but but like you said, if you're wearing it
all day and then you're gonnalive in it all night, no, I I
agree with you.
Okay, so that's awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (34:10):
Everybody's yeah, everybody's different.
Like I have some you know,friends and clients who like
really, really dark walls, andeverything is really, really
dark.
And for me, I can't live likethat.
Like I feel suffocated, I feellike I can't breathe, I can only
be in their home for a littlebit, and then I gotta get out.
I I have to be in a home withbrighter walls.
(34:33):
Yes, yeah, like sunlight.
Like most people want sunlight,and yeah, yeah, but some people
feel really comfortable in darkspace, you know, like
everybody's different, and Ithink that's why you can't
decorate on what's trendy, whatyou like.
It's getting to know yourclients and what they like, but
yet taking them out of their boxor making them think of things
(34:56):
in a different way becausethat's what you're there for.
SPEAKER_02 (34:59):
Yeah, especially if you're stuck, right?
Like you could be stuck likedeep, or you could be just stuck
like I just don't know which wayto go, right?
Like I like this and I likethis, but they don't go
together.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (35:11):
Oh, I love that.
Okay, but I just I really it's afresh set of eyes, and that's
what I am.
Yeah, because I like I said,have no attachment to any of
their stuff.
So even just by moving a certainpiece into a different room, a
lot of people are like, Oh, Inever thought of doing that,
right?
Right, right, out of theircomfort zone.
(35:32):
Yeah, I love that.
Okay, and just and trusting,trusting, and I mean, a lot of
my clients are word of mouth, sothey know that somebody's that
they already know has workedwith me, so that which is a huge
compliment.
That's the best type of clientsto have, which are referrals,
and um, they're my favorite.
SPEAKER_02 (35:53):
Yeah, well, yeah, because they know, like you, you
know, okay.
So if I trust, you know, if Itrust my neighbor and you worked
on my neighbor's house, yeah,right, I'm gonna be like, okay,
what was she like to work for orwork with?
Number one.
But you know, obviously, if youwalk into the space and you like
it, you're gonna be like, Yeah,I need this, right?
Right.
Like I need, I need thatupgrade.
(36:14):
I need that, you know.
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
Okay, so now looking into 2026.
Okay, as and again, I cannotbelieve we're in 2026.
What is your advice to someonewho is looking to create a home
or a life that truly reflectswho they are?
SPEAKER_01 (36:33):
Yeah.
Oh gosh, I kind of am in thisera for me, anyways, of looking
after myself.
Right?
I yeah, I can't.
Yeah, so I think it's like inall different areas.
I think again, I I'm not at homewith really, really young
(36:55):
children.
And I think even if you do haveyoung children, it's it's taking
out time for yourself because ifyou're running on empty, you're
just not good at at anythingelse.
So I think it's just saying no.
How you and I just were talkingabout that, not overextending
(37:15):
you know, yourself.
Um, yeah.
And I think now I think I'm alsofrom the generation that um you
never took time off for yourselfbecause it felt like that was
selfish, and that was like, whodo you think you are?
Yeah taking an hour off to gohave a massage, right?
(37:35):
So true.
Yeah, I think it things are andso again with your home, what's
wrong with having a beautifulbedroom?
That's what you sleep in.
What's wrong with havingbeautiful bedding or soft
towels?
Like you deserve that.
I agree, I agree.
Yeah, like and you should walkinto your home and it should
make you smile.
SPEAKER_02 (37:56):
Absolutely, absolutely, and sometimes it's
simple, right?
Sometimes it could be just awarm blanket, a soft blanket.
Sometimes, sometimes it's a likeyou need to have like a big
bookshelf full of stuff.
Like every person is different,right?
But you the first thing Ibelieve is you know, just accept
that that's who you are, acceptthat that's what you need, yeah,
(38:18):
right.
SPEAKER_01 (38:19):
Yeah, yeah, like we're not living in a magazine
or a reality show.
SPEAKER_02 (38:24):
I mean, you know, so yeah, yeah, we definitely don't
want to be living that kind of alife anyway, right?
Right.
But we want we also want likethe magazine cover feeling,
right?
When we walk into our room,right?
Like whether it's our bedroom orour living room or just you
know, our favorite space.
Like I mean, my office, yeah, myoffice needs love, right?
(38:46):
Yeah, you know, because I come Ispend probably more time here
than I do in the rest of thehouse lately.
And so it needs to be like itneeds to be reflective of who
you who I am, right?
Right and now you're gonna besharing it, exactly, and it
needs to inspire me, right?
Like it needs I need to come inhere and go, oh, I got these
great ideas, right?
(39:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A hundred percent.
Yes, I love it.
So tell me, do you work withpeople or like virtually, like
over Zoom or over, you know, Idon't know what other, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (39:17):
No, you know what?
All of this, this is like thisis really showing my age.
Um I have not done so many Zoommeetings in the last couple of
weeks.
I think the last time I I it waslike COVID when we did the Zoom
meetings with friends, right?
Um, so no, I like to be withsomebody.
(39:37):
Yeah, I want to be with them.
I'm not sure I like that.
SPEAKER_02 (39:41):
I mean, yeah, I get it.
SPEAKER_01 (39:42):
I I prefer like, you know, that actual the only time
I get pictures actually fromclients or whatever is um one,
if I've been at their home andwe're getting it ready to list
and put it onto the market, Ialways say to them, You have my
phone number.
If you're unsure of theplacement of something, because
they may have so much stuff thatwe can't get it all done in my
(40:04):
time that I'm there with them.
I'm always like, send mepictures.
Or um, again, with my privateclients that I'm helping
decorate their homes, they'llthey'll go out and they'll find
something and they'll send me apicture and they're like, Do you
like this?
Should I buy it?
If you want my approval, yeah,yeah.
(40:25):
You know, so I yeah, I ratherI'm I I'm not big into the the
Zoom with all of that.
I I want to be with them.
SPEAKER_02 (40:33):
Yeah, and that's good.
And so um you're here inEdmonton, where I am.
Yes.
Would would are you willing totravel if our listeners oh yes,
yes.
Hey, so that's we'll travel.
Yeah, we'll travel.
That's that's the best part.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (40:47):
Yeah, I've done a couple of projects a while ago
um in Calgary.
Um, where else have I gone?
Yeah, yeah, I know.
I'm in Edmonton, but I will I'llcome to where okay, so I love
that idea.
SPEAKER_02 (41:02):
Yeah, and we will have your contact information in
the show notes.
Okay.
Um, is there anything else thatyou want to share and let our
listeners know?
I know that, you know, I mean,we talked a lot, right?
And of course, unfortunately, wetalked mostly about me and my
house, but you know, I mean, Iwill video your house next time
of us working together.
SPEAKER_01 (41:21):
Yeah, we have we have a couple of things we could
carry on with.
I think um I always tell peoplethat I feel totally privileged
and honored that um that peopleallow me to into their homes,
like into their private spaces.
I see a lot.
(41:43):
Um, you know, it's so it's anit's an honor to me.
And I feel and I am also Iabsolutely love what I do.
So that's another thing that Ithink a lot of people have jobs
that they don't like.
And I really, really like mywork.
I love what I do.
So that's awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (42:04):
And the thing is, like you said, when you're
inviting someone like yourselfinto your house, uh you you have
to be a little bit vulnerable,right?
I mean, there's gonna be thingsthat you know I might not want
you to see, but I have to bewilling to let you see it.
Yeah, we're not talking like,you know, deep down, dirty
stuff.
I'm talking like, you know,yeah, like a mess, like you
know, I might be cluttered or Imight, you know, I might not be
(42:27):
willing to part with this stuff,but I may keep it and I think
you can do that.
SPEAKER_01 (42:31):
And I think another thing is you can't ever judge
that.
Like I have everybody alwaysapologizes to me if their house
looks a certain way.
And I'm like, hey, don't, youknow, you're here, you've asked
for help.
Um, no judgment.
I I don't know what has gone onin their life, I don't know
what's even gone on in themorning, you know.
(42:53):
But don't ever apologize forthat sort of stuff.
And that's what I see by peopleallowing me, you know, into
their homes.
I've been through in to homes,I'm doing consultations and it's
a divorce.
So it's super stressful forthem.
Or there's been a death, or Imean, there's so many instances,
and um, I feel very blessed tobe in people's homes.
SPEAKER_02 (43:18):
Yeah, but you know, it's it's I'm glad that you said
that, and thank you for addingthat.
Like stop apologizing.
Like we're here to live ourlife, right?
And sometimes things are notsmooth, sometimes chaos happens,
and you know, we need to justaccept it and embrace it.
Yeah, you know, that's why weinvite you in so that you can
(43:38):
help us to move forward andtransform.
I love you.
Well, thank you, thank you somuch.
SPEAKER_01 (43:43):
I want to take a little screenshot of us so that
I can post it.
SPEAKER_02 (43:47):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:47):
There.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (43:49):
Thank you so much for joining me today.
You're welcome.
That was awesome.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for tuning into Confidence and Bloom.
I hope today's conversationreminded you that you're not
alone on this journey and thatyour confidence grows every time
you tell that itty bitty shittycommittee to hush.
If you're ready to take thiseven deeper, I'd love to invite
you to the Bloom Room, anurturing community where women
(44:11):
come together to releaseself-doubt, reconnect with
themselves, and bloom into thetruest version of who they're
meant to be.
Until next time, rememberconfidence isn't something you
find, it's something that bloomswith from within.
SPEAKER_00 (44:25):
Thanks for listening.
This show was brought to you byDivas That Care.
Connect with us on Facebook, onInstagram, and of course on
divas that care.com, where youcan subscribe to our newsletter
so you don't miss a thing.
It's Divas That Care Radio.
Stories, strategies, and ideasto inspire positive change.
Welcome to Divas That Care, anetwork of women committed to
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This is a global movement forwomen, by women engaged in a
collaborative effort to create abetter world for future
generations.
(00:20):
To find out more about themovement, visit divas that
care.com after the show.
Right now, though, stay tunedfor another jolt of inspiration.
SPEAKER_02 (00:31):
Welcome to Confidence in Bloom, the podcast
that reminds you that confidenceisn't about becoming someone
new.
It's about coming home toyourself.
I'm your host, Tina Spolotini.
For this season, we're embracingthe theme End of Year, Beginning
of Me, a time to pause, reflect,and let go of what no longer
serves you.
Together, we'll explore realstories and soulful insights to
(00:54):
help you quiet that itty bittyshitty committee, release the
shoulds that weigh you down, andstep into the new year grounded
in self-love, clarity, andconfidence.
Let's begin today's conversationwith Shelly Rhymer.
For more than 15 years, Shellyhas been transforming spaces
into beautiful, welcoming placesthat not only sell but inspire.
(01:17):
From staging vacant homes andstyling show homes to
reimagining the spaces herclients already live in.
She has a seasoned eye and atrue passion for helping people
rediscover the joy of home.
Shelley loves seeing thatmagical moment when someone
falls in love with their spaceall over again.
And she's here today to sharehow creating a home you love can
(01:39):
mirror creating a life you love.
Welcome, Shelly.
Hello.
So maybe tell us a little bitmore about yourself and how you
like dress up home.
So let maybe talk about that.
SPEAKER_01 (01:53):
Okay.
I kind of feel like um for me,anyways, um, I have a huge
passion in home decor, but Ialso have I love clothing and
jewelry and all of that.
So for me, um, they kind of gothey go together that way.
So yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (02:13):
I can tell.
That's when I met you.
I was like, oh my God, I lovethe way she dresses.
SPEAKER_01 (02:17):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like they they go hand in handto me.
I think um how you dress andalso how your home sometimes
looks like.
I think they're bothreflections.
SPEAKER_02 (02:30):
I think so too.
Although I will say this I met alady once that I used to meet
her, I used to see her inchurch.
Yeah.
And um, her husband ended updoing some work for us, and he
invited us to her house.
I can't remember what it wasfor, but it was like just a
walkthrough.
And I used to think this womanwas always done up with makeup,
always had nice clothes.
Like she looked always like amillion bucks.
(02:51):
Well put together.
And I will add this, she doesshe had four or five kids, you
know, she had a full house.
And we walked into her house,she wasn't there, and it was not
nearly what I expected, right?
And and not that that's a badthing because it wasn't like a
pig's pen.
I would never give that title.
Yeah, but at the same time, Iwas like, wow, she looks put
(03:12):
together, yeah, right.
And I come to her house, but Imean, I don't know what anyone
would say about my house, right?
I my house is always, in myopinion, it's kind of messy, but
I like to have things in order,right?
SPEAKER_01 (03:25):
There's always something so then do you think
that's a reflection a little biton you then?
SPEAKER_02 (03:30):
Like I don't know, like I that and that's what
what's making me question thatnow because I like to have
things in order, but I don'tknow necessarily how people are
viewing me when they see me,right?
Right?
Yeah, so I don't know if it's areflection, but I know exactly
what you mean when you say, youknow, the way we dress is a
reflection of how we have ourhome.
SPEAKER_01 (03:51):
Yeah, like I'll I'll be with clients that um I'll be
at their homes and and it's notthere's a difference between a
mess and dirty.
So I mean not dirty, I meanthere's just there's stuff,
there's lots of stuff.
Um, and that is sometimes I canalways like like and it's
(04:13):
everywhere, and there's notreally homes for things
properly, and it's just it'sit's chaos.
And then, but they're kind ofalso chaos, right?
So it's kind of your homesometimes is a bit of a
reflection.
Like I always like before I needwith I'm at home, I need to have
everything neat and tidy, andthen I feel focused that I can
(04:37):
do things.
SPEAKER_02 (04:38):
Oh my god, I love that.
And that's that's actually whatI wanted to ask you is how you
when you walk into a person'shouse, yeah, how do you see like
um what like what do you learnabout that person as soon as you
walk into their house?
So it's funny that you know yousay that because my daughter,
she has a chaotic mind, right?
And I know that I mean, growingup, she was always like, you
(05:01):
know, today they call it ADHD.
I don't believe that's what itis.
So we had her tested, she's notADHD, but yeah, I know that her
mind is always doing four thingsat once.
At least she used to keep whenshe was little, she used to keep
her room really tidy.
Yeah, but when she got older,like into the teenage years, you
know, the chaos, as everyteenager does, I I will, you
(05:22):
know, throw that in there.
But yeah, I couldn't believe themess that she would create.
And then when she moved out, Iwas like, You gotta fix this,
man.
Like your brain has got tosettle down because if you don't
fix your environment, your brainwon't settle down.
And if your brain doesn't settledown, your environment is gonna
stay like this.
Man, it took her three or fouryears to really hone in on that,
(05:46):
you know, that organizationskill.
And I think does she feel betternow?
I think she's got it, and Inotice now, okay, she's also 24.
We all reach that age where westart to settle, but I see a
difference.
Yeah, yeah.
My room was always tidy, I'vealways kept my room tidy.
Yeah, right.
And I used to say to them,that's the place where you need
(06:07):
to go and be alone, right?
And you know this because thisis your job, yeah, right.
That you have to sleep here.
If you can't sleep with calmnessaround you, you'll your life is
gonna be crazy, right?
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
I feel yeah, I I agree.
I totally agree with that.
And I actually, it's funnybecause I'll go into some
people's houses.
There's different scenarios.
I say I'm helping clients, um,and they're like they're needing
some new furniture and some art,and they're just wanting their
house, you know, designed anddecorated and to feel more cozy.
(06:40):
And oftentimes I prefer a housethat actually has lots of chaos
and has lots of stuff because Ican see that they have some
sense of style.
Like I can I can see whatthey're attracted to, right?
But if you go into a home thathas nothing, you're like, you
can't even sometimes tell whattheir favorite color is, right?
(07:03):
Or like you can you can read alot by how much stuff somebody
has.
SPEAKER_02 (07:09):
That is super interesting, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (07:12):
Yeah, and I would have never an empty home.
It's like I I can't sometimesget a feel of what their
personality is, right?
SPEAKER_02 (07:20):
So if you walk into a house and they have, you know,
maybe not a theme, but you canyou can sort of tell the things
that they like by the the amountand by the stuff that they have.
Oh, that is super interesting.
See, I would have thought it'sit's easier on a plain, like a
(07:40):
no, it's hard for me to get afeel.
SPEAKER_01 (07:43):
It's I guess that makes sense because you're
pulling like you're pullingquestions from them, like what
colors do you like?
If you have art on the walls,are you attracted to more
landscapes or abstracts or butwhen there's nothing, there's
just it's it's hard.
SPEAKER_02 (07:59):
Oh my gosh.
Okay, that has answered so manyquestions for me because I'm I'm
struggling with my own house,right?
Because this is our secondhouse, right?
We brought, of course, all ourstuff from our old house into
this house, and I it doesn't fitfor me, right?
I've moved it around, I've done,and I'm like, it just isn't
working.
Yeah, but I guess that like thatwould make sense when you come,
(08:20):
you're gonna be coming into myhouse, but when you do come into
my house, I already have someideas because we've talked about
this.
There's right, and you'll beable to say, okay, this, you
know, like I don't know, is iteasier?
Like, you wouldn't say get ridof this, you would just say,
let's put it away for a year ortwo.
SPEAKER_01 (08:36):
Right.
Or I would like for you and I'vehad this discussion that you
again like you have somefurniture that's um too large or
it's not fitting into this home,but you also have lots of stuff
that is important to you andyour husband because it's your
mother-in-law made it and it'simportant to you, so that's good
(08:57):
for me to know, and then we canwork with that, right?
I would love to keep those keypieces that mean something
because that's what a home is.
Everything should have somemeaning to it, right?
SPEAKER_02 (09:11):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (09:11):
You don't want to just to have it.
No, and I think we that's likeeverybody's like, What's the
trend?
What's happening?
You know, I I sometimes don'talways like to decorate.
I mean, a show home and astaging is totally different
than somebody's home.
SPEAKER_02 (09:27):
This is true, right?
SPEAKER_01 (09:29):
Like those are different things.
Right.
I think a home should make youfeel it's your sanctuary, it
should make you feel cozy, feelwarm, it makes you feel safe.
SPEAKER_02 (09:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:42):
You know, so it needs to have um stuff that's
important to you.
SPEAKER_02 (09:46):
Yeah.
I used to tell my kids when Iwould make the when I was, you
know, teaching them how toclean, it needs to look like a
show home when you're done.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's the only time I want myhouse to look like a show home,
right?
Is when when it's clean.
SPEAKER_01 (09:59):
My my children bug me about that all the time.
Is that it's doesn't have to bea show home mom.
And I'm like, but it does, youknow, it does because that makes
me feel like I have thingsorganized.
And exactly for me, exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (10:16):
I like that.
That's exactly how I mean I Iknow it's my stuff, and you
know, I'm not selling it orwhatever, and I'm not selling my
house, but I want it to feelclean, and that to me feels
clean, right?
SPEAKER_01 (10:26):
Right, it's what I do for a living.
So I I can have a home thatdoesn't is in disarray and is a
you know, it's that's how it is.
But yeah, yeah, I love that.
So we had this running joke thatwe uh started some puzzles at
Thanksgiving um with my parentsand the kids, and we like
whizzed through two of thesepuzzles because they were like
(10:48):
500 pieces.
So then we thought, oh, we'regetting good at this.
So we went and got athousand-piece puzzle.
Well, it didn't get finished.
Oh no, so it has been sitting onmy dining table.
Like, what are we going on threeweeks?
SPEAKER_02 (11:03):
Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_01 (11:04):
And so finally last night I said to my daughter, I
said, I we got to do somethingwith this.
Because I'm working on so manyprojects right now.
So I have little piles like inmy office, down the hall, in my
living room, and I can't eventhink anymore.
Like, I just I can't live likethis.
So I'm like, but I don't want toput the puzzle in the box
(11:26):
because it was too hard and Idon't want to start all over.
So we're gonna figure somethingout, but I'm like, I it can't
stay here.
SPEAKER_02 (11:32):
You could buy those, I don't know where, but you can
buy these little they're likefolding tables, but they you put
a puzzle in it, but it's alreadyon my table.
SPEAKER_01 (11:40):
I don't I you know what we did was we we're gonna
try this.
We went and bought like abristle board, and I'm gonna try
to slide it on that.
That's what I would suggest toyou.
And then the loose pieces I'veput into a box, and um yeah,
because my daughter's like,well, let's just leave this till
Christmas.
I'm like, Christmas.
(12:00):
No, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_02 (12:03):
Oh my god, that would be me.
I'd be like, Are you crazy?
SPEAKER_01 (12:06):
Yeah, no, I can't, yeah, I can't do it.
SPEAKER_02 (12:08):
I get it.
So I'm I'm curious to know whenyou walk into someone's house
and you are able to like makethat transformation that they're
looking for.
Yeah, yeah.
I know, I know with myself andpast experience, it's a
transformation that I go throughas the homeowner.
Right.
So I'd like to share with ourlisteners maybe an example of
(12:31):
something that has happened inyour experience, like that
transformed a client.
SPEAKER_01 (12:37):
Yeah.
I kind of because I have a diffso many different like avenues
of what I do, whether I'mworking with a brand new home or
existing homes that clients livein, or I'm staging a vacant
property, you know, I have so Ihave kind of a bunch of
different scenarios that havehappened, but um I kind of think
the most transformation thatpeople see often is um if I'm
(13:04):
going to do a consultation withclients who are listing their
homes to put onto the market andwe're using what they have.
And so I always say to them, Ihave no attachment to your
stuff.
I'm here to get your house sold.
I'm that's what I'm here for.
(13:24):
I said, and I'm also a fresh setof eyes to your stuff.
And so once I, you know, helpthem, and um, I don't like to do
like the list and give them thelist of all the things that they
have to do.
I'm like, let's get going, let'sdo this now, because it's they
actually can see the differencethat it makes when we actually
(13:45):
physically start doing things.
Oh, yeah.
Um, so oftentimes, like I'llmove their furniture placement
around and they're like, oh, Inever thought of it this way.
Or I'll just I'll move, youknow, some of their art to their
accessories, or and or I'll takeum, I was with clients last week
(14:05):
and they had all this beautifullike pottery and ceramics that
her husband made.
And like I went right throughtheir kitchen cabinets and I'm
taking stuff out, and they had abeautiful book collection, and
so I'm like just stacking somebooks with a piece of his
beautiful pottery bowl, and itlooks so neat, and it has a
personality now to it.
(14:26):
Then, you know, and they'relike, Oh, and so they're like,
We have lived here for like 15years, and we love our house
now, and so they either werelike, We don't want to sell,
which of course they are, butthey'll often say that, or
they're like, Can you come withus to our new home?
And I'm like, Of course, right?
SPEAKER_02 (14:48):
Yeah, especially now that you know, like you know
that like what you moved in theold house, what their reaction
to that was, yeah.
You know, like you have an ideaof where to start in the new.
Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_01 (14:59):
Yeah, and oftentimes if I'm working with people that
I'm either helping them um gettheir house listed and then they
put it on the market and theysell it and then they buy
something new, often they bringme with them to the new home.
And then we're keeping keypieces, and I love using that
and then incorporating it withsome new pieces.
SPEAKER_02 (15:18):
And right, yeah, yeah.
And then you have an idea whenyou see the house that they want
to buy is oh yeah, that would begreat.
Like you could put your pianohere, or you know, if if I don't
know if grandfather boxes existanymore, but you know, you you
can find the right walls for theright pieces.
I love that.
SPEAKER_01 (15:34):
Oh yeah, and oftentimes, like I'll have
measurements of their furnitureexisting that they want to
incorporate.
Um, and then when they're eitherbuilding or they're buying new,
then we we know where that'sgoing to work.
I have a couple of I have um oneclient that I told, and the
other thing that I love with myjob is I get to really know my
(15:55):
clients.
And I absolutely, I have thebest clients.
I absolutely adore them.
I have one um husband and wifethat I worked with them.
Oh gosh, are we going on to twoor three years ago?
And she's like one of my biggestcheerleaders.
Like if I'm posting anything onInstagram or whatever, she's
(16:16):
sending me a message like, yougot this, you can do this.
And anyways, um they were asecond marriage, so they were
incorporating furniture andpieces from their homes.
They sold the home and then theywere building brand new with one
of a builder that I work with.
And this home was totallydifferent looking than what
(16:37):
their existing home was, butthey had some really special
pieces that they wanted to bringto this new home, like um a
floor lamp that was hergrandma's, and this beautiful
black rocking chair.
And she's like, I'm like, youcan't get rid of that.
Like, we need we'll incorporateit.
And it looks so so now they havethis brand new, much more
(17:00):
contemporary home, but it's gotstories to it, right?
SPEAKER_02 (17:05):
I love that I love that because, and you know this
yourself, you can walk intohomes and that they they sort of
like um decorated andaccessorized for the trend or
for the style, yeah, and there'sno character, right?
But you add in like an oldrocking chair and a grandma is a
floor lamp, like yeah, it's oldso cool.
(17:26):
Yeah, and it but it makes theroom like it gives it a story,
right?
It's like when you look at aperson, you can make up a story,
even you don't even have to knowthe person, but you can sort of
see what their life has beenlike.
Yeah, and that's we can do thatwith a home, right?
I love that, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (17:45):
Your home should be somewhere that, like I said,
makes you feel you want to comehome to it, and you it makes you
feel safe and secure.
And um, I love it when friendsor I have sometimes host events
or I have clients at my home andthey the biggest compliment, and
my style may not be their styleby any means, but it's how it
(18:08):
makes them feel, right?
SPEAKER_02 (18:10):
And that's but that's the at the end of the
day, that's what you're lookingfor, right?
Is that how did you make thisperson feel or this family feel?
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
Yeah, yeah, and they are like it just your home makes
me feel calm and relaxed.
SPEAKER_02 (18:23):
Right.
And so I use you made a comment,you said um it's not my style.
So does that mean that all yourhouses are the same?
Or do you sort of have itdepends on the person that's
living in the house, right?
Like you can read them and feelkind of what they like, and
that's how you work.
SPEAKER_01 (18:40):
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Like I have a couple of clientsthat it's not my it's not my
taste, but it means something tothem.
So that's let's make that work.
SPEAKER_02 (18:51):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_01 (18:52):
And that's that's where the taking their old
furniture comes in, or theiryeah, or their collections of
records, or you know, I havesome clients where we've taken
their collection of records,some of them that are important
to them, and we've framed themand we've made like a vignette
on a wall with their stuffbecause it's important to them.
SPEAKER_02 (19:11):
Oh my gosh.
Okay, so that makes me think mydad, when he moved into his
house, he had thousands ofrecords, like thousands of
records.
Yeah, unfortunately, they moveda few times and didn't know what
to do with them, and they gotmoved into the garage, they
froze, they unfroze, they froze,like you know, and he ended up
just throwing them out, and hewas heartbroken, like he was so
(19:32):
attached.
But now when I hear this, wecould have taken some of those
and done something.
Yeah, you know, I don't know ifmy mom would have been okay with
that, you know, because they'rein a small space, but you know,
even if we would have justtaken, you know, even the top
20, like his most favorite kindof thing.
So I guess too bad, Dad.
Sorry.
Okay, let's get let's get backto like what we're doing here.
(19:55):
So we're we're coming close tothe year to ending 2026.
Can you believe it?
I can't believe it.
I'm like, I can't believe it'sthis late.
So many of us, you know, we kindof reflect on you know what
we've done, what we haven'tdone.
Right.
Um, what is your process forlike resetting a space or a
mindset for a fresh start?
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
I think for myself, um the I think the best thing,
and I do think a lot of peoplealso is, and some people maybe
need help with it, um, isdecluttering and just getting
rid of what you're not usinganymore, whether that is your
(20:38):
home, home stuff or it's yourclothing.
I think just I thinkdecluttering and getting rid of,
and whether that's and I don'tmean by throwing it away, I mean
by gifting it to maybe somebodywho needs that, or donating it,
or giving it to a shelter, orthere's so many different
avenues of what you can do withstuff in your home.
(21:00):
But I think that just sets thetone, kind of a clearing for the
new year.
SPEAKER_02 (21:07):
Yeah.
And and I, you know, just to addto that, um, there's lots of
things that we have that webought and used for a certain
purpose, but we can alwaysrepurpose them, like we can put
them to use somewhere else.
I mean, like in your house, youhave that, you know, that in an
African culture, it's anecklace.
(21:28):
Right now, here in Canada, youwould never wear that as a
necklace, right?
But you you hung it up on yourwall and it looks absolutely
beautiful, right?
I mean, we can do things likethat, right?
I remember my mom and dad had aum a rosary from Italy and it
was made out of chestnuts.
Oh, so I mean, imagine it washuge, like it covered their bed
because in the 70s, apparently,that was a style.
(21:50):
Yeah, and I remember thinking,what would you ever do with
that?
Yeah, like okay, hang it overyour bed, but that's kind of
weird.
I think that's kind of weird.
But there's so many.
SPEAKER_01 (22:00):
Um, next time if we do this, I'll have to um go
through my photos.
I and we can I can do show yousome photos of different homes
that I've I have a client thatshe's from um Portugal, and so
we were uh she was wanting somenew furniture, so we were kind
of space planning for her livingroom and her bait, like her main
(22:22):
areas of her home.
And we were kind of um, and shehad lots of furniture, they move
all the time, and she's great,beautiful, like her taste is
amazing.
Um, and so but it just didn'tfit in this space, and so we
just were, you know, movingfurniture around from we had I
had my movers come and we movedit into different areas of the
(22:44):
home.
And then what we decided wasn'tgonna work, she um donated, and
uh, but she had all of thisbeautiful, like the rosary, you
know, she had ceramics andbooks, and and we just placed
them, like all them.
We just made little vignettesthroughout her home.
SPEAKER_02 (23:03):
And my house was like a house in Europe, like it
that's the what I'm the theideas that I'm getting.
It's like a European home.
SPEAKER_01 (23:11):
And we just re-hung some of her art because a lot of
times people will have, youknow, especially if it's um from
somewhere, like it's not usuallya big scale, and so a lot of
times it doesn't fit on theselarge walls.
So we just kind of made littlevignettes with all of her
little, you know, pieces of art.
And she I I remember I went homethat day and she sent me a text
(23:34):
and she said, Thank you.
Like she just said, I every turnI make in my home, it just it
has so many memories.
Oh, you're making me so excited.
SPEAKER_02 (23:43):
I want to do this right now.
SPEAKER_01 (23:46):
Oh my god, so yeah, like I it makes me it makes me
feel um I like that.
Like it makes me feel that Ifeel like I've done something
and I've done my job and I'velistened to what's important to
them.
And it makes me happy that theyfeel happy.
SPEAKER_02 (24:02):
Absolutely.
And so with that, I mean, you'reyou're all I mean, you're
creating a beautiful space forthem, right?
And now that they're enjoyingthat space, I mean, obviously,
you've learned so many thingsabout creating like a life that
you love and your clients, yeah,and not just that picture
perfect, right?
Like, I mean, you walk into ahouse that's well organized and
(24:24):
you think, is this really ahouse?
Like I walked into your houseand I'm like, like, seriously,
like this is way too beautiful,right?
And I I mean, my house, I have abeautiful house, but it's not
decorated the way I would loveit.
I know that, right?
So I walk into yours and I'mlike, oh my God, does this woman
really live like this?
Right.
But then when you like, youknow, you and I sat on the couch
(24:45):
and had coffee, like we werelike, oh my God, this is so like
I just felt so relaxed and atpeace, right?
And it made me realize thatyeah, you can live in a house
that's picture perfect.
SPEAKER_01 (24:57):
And I always tell people, like, I kind of call it
like slow decorating, like,especially if you move into a
new home, like live in the homefor a little bit because you
never know how you're going touse certain rooms.
And um, so yeah, definitely livein it for a while.
See how you're gonna use thosespaces.
(25:18):
Each room during the day, thesun may be different, you know,
like each room might make youfeel different, uh, you know,
throughout the seasons.
And um like pick spaces thatwe're gonna start working on.
And you don't have to do thewhole home, but have a game plan
so that it all makes sense.
But it all most people can't doa whole home.
(25:42):
The reality of it is, right?
All at once.
SPEAKER_02 (25:45):
Okay, so when you say that, what why is that?
Like what does that mean?
SPEAKER_01 (25:50):
So oftentimes if somebody's moving into a brand
new home, if they all need allnew furniture, or I always tell
them, you know, bring what youcan.
And if we need some newfurniture, some new art, you
know, that sort of stuff, let'spick certain areas of the home
to start with.
Like it's you maybe your livingroom and do that first.
(26:12):
And then we move on to the bonusroom or the you know, like
typically a basement's like thelast thing that gets done, like
because a lot of it's expensive,right?
SPEAKER_02 (26:22):
Right, right.
And so, like you might come intoa house and say, okay, you know,
I if I you're coming into myhouse and say, first thing I
want is I want I need a newpaint.
I don't like the paint on mywalls, yeah, right.
So I mean we're gonna do thewhole house.
I want the whole house the same.
Yeah, right.
Yeah, and so then okay, we'regonna go with that.
But we're like as far asdecorating, if we're changing
furniture, let's start whereyour budget works, right?
(26:45):
So if it's your living room,we're gonna start with your
living room, but you'll alsohave ideas for the rest of the
house that needs, am I right?
SPEAKER_01 (26:52):
Yeah, yes, okay, and I think that's kind of a lot of
times where I have a lot ofpeople reach out to me is that
they think they're gonna do thison their own.
And then they're like, we get toHome Sense or wherever, and we
just buy all of this stuff andwe bring it home and it doesn't
look good.
Like we don't know what to dowith it.
It's just a bunch of little likethere's no rhyme or reason, and
(27:13):
so we've wasted our time, andthen that's where I've I come
in.
unknown (27:19):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (27:19):
And so just out of curiosity, is Home Sense like a
good place to go?
Because I've heard I've like yesand no, right?
I like HomeSense, I love walkingthrough HomeSense, but I find I
don't want that stuff in myhouse.
Yeah, I mean, there's a fewthings that I find that I'm
like, oh yeah, I could use this.
There's a few things and morethings that I would like to
(27:42):
admit that I take home, I put inthe spot, yeah, and I don't love
it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:46):
Like I'm like, ah, I wish you'd I think a lot of
times people will go there andnot always have um they're kind
of just going there to look.
And so to me, it's like it's sooverwhelming.
There's vases, there's lamps,there's pillow, like, but if you
don't go with a game plan, thenyou're just bringing stuff home.
SPEAKER_02 (28:07):
Yeah, and I think that's happened to me many
times.
SPEAKER_01 (28:10):
So I mean all these little vases are gonna look
great, but that there's no rhymeor reason to it.
SPEAKER_02 (28:16):
Yeah, yeah, I get that.
Now, in the last you had made acomment about, you know, when
you're moving into a new home,live there for a while.
Right.
Yeah.
So I I'm just asking becauseI've been in my house 13 years.
I have changed my living roomfurniture twice since I've been
here.
Okay.
And it's still not there.
I I think 13 years is too long,right?
(28:39):
Like I almost feel like thatlittle while, we passed that
little while, right?
And it went, we we kind of werelike, I don't know what to do
now.
SPEAKER_01 (28:49):
But knowing now what I like that we've met and we've
talked, I'm just wondering, andI kind of get this oftentimes
from clients that when they moveinto a home and if they've been
there for a while, oftentimestheir kids are young.
Yeah, they're busy, right?
Like the home isn't a priority.
(29:10):
They're they're taking they'reraising their kids, um, they're
taking the children to sports,to activities, to school.
And then as they get older andeven move out, then you're
you're in your home, you know,and it's well, and I think the
different, you know, everything,everybody's life is different at
different stages.
SPEAKER_02 (29:31):
Yeah, I think you're right.
I think because now when I thinkback 13 years ago, I mean my
kids were young, quite young,and I was so busy running them
around and you know, doing allthe mother things that my house,
yeah, you're right.
I mean, I still did it.
I still, I mean, I bought thisbeautiful vase.
It was like a$700 vase.
I fell in love with it when Isaw it.
(29:52):
And you know, my kids know tothis day like you tiptoe around
this vase, like you touch thatvase, and mom will break your
head, right?
And And it's, you know, I'mburied in it.
Yeah, but that is gonna be avase that will be, you know,
still displayed when you come.
But I, you know, I know that Imissed out.
Like my house before was fullydecorated and I loved it.
(30:13):
It just felt so home like to me.
And so this one is like, I justhaven't felt that yet.
So I mean, obviously for ourlisteners that are, you know,
are listening, you know, don'tgive up, right?
That's the lesson I'm gettingout of this.
Like, I mean, I don't love myhouse as much as I loved my
first house.
I I have to be honest with that.
But you know, my kids grew uphere, right?
(30:34):
And I'm not ready to move,right?
I'm not, I don't know where Iwant to go next, right?
And so I'm like, this is gonnahave to be, but I have to make
it more cozy, more like youknow, like more like I want to
be here.
All right.
Yeah, so yeah, let's carry on.
I want to know something elsewhen someone is, you know,
(30:55):
feeling stuck, you know, I guesskind of like what I've been
feeling.
Yeah, you know, it could beeither with my house or in my
personal life.
Yeah, um, what's one small thingthat you would give as advice to
make them feel maybe a littleempowered or inspired?
SPEAKER_01 (31:12):
I think for me, like even just like listening to you,
I think it's just really askingyou a lot of questions of you
know, why you're stuck, whatwould you know, like it's just
really getting to know deepdown, because sometimes the
stuck is maybe other things orwhatever, right?
(31:32):
But if we're then like forinstance, with your home, I
think maybe we pick an area thatyou spend a lot of time in,
whether it's you know, yourliving room, which is a lot of
homes are open concepts.
So the living room is kind oflike the main area.
Maybe it's your bedroom, um,your office where you do
podcasts.
Like maybe we start with thatroom and really figure out what
(31:56):
would make it feel special andand start there.
And then once you get thatfeeling of what that is, then we
then it would expand.
SPEAKER_02 (32:05):
I love I love the idea of that because as you're
saying that I'm like goingthrough my entire house and I'm
like, okay, I got lots of workcoming.
But start small, right?
SPEAKER_01 (32:14):
Yeah, yeah, like start with the the small main
areas and and go from there.
SPEAKER_02 (32:21):
Okay, all right.
Okay, so well, I'm getting somuch more inspired now.
Yeah, what are common mistakesthat people make when they try
to, you know, create aninspiring spot in their house,
right?
How do you guide them?
Like, how did like how like ifyou walk into my house and I'm
like, I want you to fix this,right?
But then you suggest somethingand I'm like, whoa, that's too
(32:42):
much.
Like I remember our last housewhen we were decorated, she
painted all the doors.
Yeah, like we had seven or eightdifferent colors throughout the
house, right?
Everything is a different color,and I was like, Oh my god, you
know, coming from whitebaseboards, white doors, and you
know, we had like a beigey wall,that was it, right?
Yeah, that was scary for me.
SPEAKER_01 (33:01):
Yeah, yeah.
I think sometimes, like I said,I really get to know my clients.
So I get to know what I canpush, you know, where and I
always say to them, trust theprocess, like, trust me, you've
hired me.
I'm not gonna guide you wrong.
I'm not going to create a homethat is not comfortable for you,
(33:25):
right?
Like, for instance, for me, Iwould never I love to wear navy,
I love the color of navy, but Idon't want it in my house,
right?
So I think it's I'm not ifthere's something that you do
not like, I'm not gonna give itto you because it's you're not
(33:45):
going to like it.
SPEAKER_02 (33:47):
Oh my gosh, yeah, that makes sense.
SPEAKER_01 (33:50):
Yeah, that totally makes sense.
Navy, I stage with navy all thetime because it's a color that
people do like photographsreally well, but I don't want it
in my house.
SPEAKER_02 (34:03):
Yeah, but but like you said, if you're wearing it
all day and then you're gonnalive in it all night, no, I I
agree with you.
Okay, so that's awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (34:10):
Everybody's yeah, everybody's different.
Like I have some you know,friends and clients who like
really, really dark walls, andeverything is really, really
dark.
And for me, I can't live likethat.
Like I feel suffocated, I feellike I can't breathe, I can only
be in their home for a littlebit, and then I gotta get out.
I I have to be in a home withbrighter walls.
(34:33):
Yes, yeah, like sunlight.
Like most people want sunlight,and yeah, yeah, but some people
feel really comfortable in darkspace, you know, like
everybody's different, and Ithink that's why you can't
decorate on what's trendy, whatyou like.
It's getting to know yourclients and what they like, but
yet taking them out of their boxor making them think of things
(34:56):
in a different way becausethat's what you're there for.
SPEAKER_02 (34:59):
Yeah, especially if you're stuck, right?
Like you could be stuck likedeep, or you could be just stuck
like I just don't know which wayto go, right?
Like I like this and I likethis, but they don't go
together.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (35:11):
Oh, I love that.
Okay, but I just I really it's afresh set of eyes, and that's
what I am.
Yeah, because I like I said,have no attachment to any of
their stuff.
So even just by moving a certainpiece into a different room, a
lot of people are like, Oh, Inever thought of doing that,
right?
Right, right, out of theircomfort zone.
(35:32):
Yeah, I love that.
Okay, and just and trusting,trusting, and I mean, a lot of
my clients are word of mouth, sothey know that somebody's that
they already know has workedwith me, so that which is a huge
compliment.
That's the best type of clientsto have, which are referrals,
and um, they're my favorite.
SPEAKER_02 (35:53):
Yeah, well, yeah, because they know, like you, you
know, okay.
So if I trust, you know, if Itrust my neighbor and you worked
on my neighbor's house, yeah,right, I'm gonna be like, okay,
what was she like to work for orwork with?
Number one.
But you know, obviously, if youwalk into the space and you like
it, you're gonna be like, Yeah,I need this, right?
Right.
Like I need, I need thatupgrade.
(36:14):
I need that, you know.
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
Okay, so now looking into 2026.
Okay, as and again, I cannotbelieve we're in 2026.
What is your advice to someonewho is looking to create a home
or a life that truly reflectswho they are?
SPEAKER_01 (36:33):
Yeah.
Oh gosh, I kind of am in thisera for me, anyways, of looking
after myself.
Right?
I yeah, I can't.
Yeah, so I think it's like inall different areas.
I think again, I I'm not at homewith really, really young
(36:55):
children.
And I think even if you do haveyoung children, it's it's taking
out time for yourself because ifyou're running on empty, you're
just not good at at anythingelse.
So I think it's just saying no.
How you and I just were talkingabout that, not overextending
(37:15):
you know, yourself.
Um, yeah.
And I think now I think I'm alsofrom the generation that um you
never took time off for yourselfbecause it felt like that was
selfish, and that was like, whodo you think you are?
Yeah taking an hour off to gohave a massage, right?
(37:35):
So true.
Yeah, I think it things are andso again with your home, what's
wrong with having a beautifulbedroom?
That's what you sleep in.
What's wrong with havingbeautiful bedding or soft
towels?
Like you deserve that.
I agree, I agree.
Yeah, like and you should walkinto your home and it should
make you smile.
SPEAKER_02 (37:56):
Absolutely, absolutely, and sometimes it's
simple, right?
Sometimes it could be just awarm blanket, a soft blanket.
Sometimes, sometimes it's a likeyou need to have like a big
bookshelf full of stuff.
Like every person is different,right?
But you the first thing Ibelieve is you know, just accept
that that's who you are, acceptthat that's what you need, yeah,
(38:18):
right.
SPEAKER_01 (38:19):
Yeah, yeah, like we're not living in a magazine
or a reality show.
SPEAKER_02 (38:24):
I mean, you know, so yeah, yeah, we definitely don't
want to be living that kind of alife anyway, right?
Right.
But we want we also want likethe magazine cover feeling,
right?
When we walk into our room,right?
Like whether it's our bedroom orour living room or just you
know, our favorite space.
Like I mean, my office, yeah, myoffice needs love, right?
(38:46):
Yeah, you know, because I come Ispend probably more time here
than I do in the rest of thehouse lately.
And so it needs to be like itneeds to be reflective of who
you who I am, right?
Right and now you're gonna besharing it, exactly, and it
needs to inspire me, right?
Like it needs I need to come inhere and go, oh, I got these
great ideas, right?
(39:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A hundred percent.
Yes, I love it.
So tell me, do you work withpeople or like virtually, like
over Zoom or over, you know, Idon't know what other, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (39:17):
No, you know what?
All of this, this is like thisis really showing my age.
Um I have not done so many Zoommeetings in the last couple of
weeks.
I think the last time I I it waslike COVID when we did the Zoom
meetings with friends, right?
Um, so no, I like to be withsomebody.
(39:37):
Yeah, I want to be with them.
I'm not sure I like that.
SPEAKER_02 (39:41):
I mean, yeah, I get it.
SPEAKER_01 (39:42):
I I prefer like, you know, that actual the only time
I get pictures actually fromclients or whatever is um one,
if I've been at their home andwe're getting it ready to list
and put it onto the market, Ialways say to them, You have my
phone number.
If you're unsure of theplacement of something, because
they may have so much stuff thatwe can't get it all done in my
(40:04):
time that I'm there with them.
I'm always like, send mepictures.
Or um, again, with my privateclients that I'm helping
decorate their homes, they'llthey'll go out and they'll find
something and they'll send me apicture and they're like, Do you
like this?
Should I buy it?
If you want my approval, yeah,yeah.
(40:25):
You know, so I yeah, I ratherI'm I I'm not big into the the
Zoom with all of that.
I I want to be with them.
SPEAKER_02 (40:33):
Yeah, and that's good.
And so um you're here inEdmonton, where I am.
Yes.
Would would are you willing totravel if our listeners oh yes,
yes.
Hey, so that's we'll travel.
Yeah, we'll travel.
That's that's the best part.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (40:47):
Yeah, I've done a couple of projects a while ago
um in Calgary.
Um, where else have I gone?
Yeah, yeah, I know.
I'm in Edmonton, but I will I'llcome to where okay, so I love
that idea.
SPEAKER_02 (41:02):
Yeah, and we will have your contact information in
the show notes.
Okay.
Um, is there anything else thatyou want to share and let our
listeners know?
I know that, you know, I mean,we talked a lot, right?
And of course, unfortunately, wetalked mostly about me and my
house, but you know, I mean, Iwill video your house next time
of us working together.
SPEAKER_01 (41:21):
Yeah, we have we have a couple of things we could
carry on with.
I think um I always tell peoplethat I feel totally privileged
and honored that um that peopleallow me to into their homes,
like into their private spaces.
I see a lot.
(41:43):
Um, you know, it's so it's anit's an honor to me.
And I feel and I am also Iabsolutely love what I do.
So that's another thing that Ithink a lot of people have jobs
that they don't like.
And I really, really like mywork.
I love what I do.
So that's awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (42:04):
And the thing is, like you said, when you're
inviting someone like yourselfinto your house, uh you you have
to be a little bit vulnerable,right?
I mean, there's gonna be thingsthat you know I might not want
you to see, but I have to bewilling to let you see it.
Yeah, we're not talking like,you know, deep down, dirty
stuff.
I'm talking like, you know,yeah, like a mess, like you
know, I might be cluttered or Imight, you know, I might not be
(42:27):
willing to part with this stuff,but I may keep it and I think
you can do that.
SPEAKER_01 (42:31):
And I think another thing is you can't ever judge
that.
Like I have everybody alwaysapologizes to me if their house
looks a certain way.
And I'm like, hey, don't, youknow, you're here, you've asked
for help.
Um, no judgment.
I I don't know what has gone onin their life, I don't know
what's even gone on in themorning, you know.
(42:53):
But don't ever apologize forthat sort of stuff.
And that's what I see by peopleallowing me, you know, into
their homes.
I've been through in to homes,I'm doing consultations and it's
a divorce.
So it's super stressful forthem.
Or there's been a death, or Imean, there's so many instances,
and um, I feel very blessed tobe in people's homes.
SPEAKER_02 (43:18):
Yeah, but you know, it's it's I'm glad that you said
that, and thank you for addingthat.
Like stop apologizing.
Like we're here to live ourlife, right?
And sometimes things are notsmooth, sometimes chaos happens,
and you know, we need to justaccept it and embrace it.
Yeah, you know, that's why weinvite you in so that you can
(43:38):
help us to move forward andtransform.
I love you.
Well, thank you, thank you somuch.
SPEAKER_01 (43:43):
I want to take a little screenshot of us so that
I can post it.
SPEAKER_02 (43:47):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:47):
There.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (43:49):
Thank you so much for joining me today.
You're welcome.
That was awesome.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for tuning into Confidence and Bloom.
I hope today's conversationreminded you that you're not
alone on this journey and thatyour confidence grows every time
you tell that itty bitty shittycommittee to hush.
If you're ready to take thiseven deeper, I'd love to invite
you to the Bloom Room, anurturing community where women
(44:11):
come together to releaseself-doubt, reconnect with
themselves, and bloom into thetruest version of who they're
meant to be.
Until next time, rememberconfidence isn't something you
find, it's something that bloomswith from within.
SPEAKER_00 (44:25):
Thanks for listening.
This show was brought to you byDivas That Care.
Connect with us on Facebook, onInstagram, and of course on
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