How to Create a Serene Bedroom

We’ve all been through a lot over the past couple of years — grief, isolation, anxiety, overwork, underwork, home schooling, home working. And some of us have been sick or caring for someone who was ill. In short, we’re stressed to the hilt. We need rest. We need respite. We need our own personal sanctuary. The default space for sanctuary ideally is our bedroom. But the same mindfulness we reference for activities that calm us down is also necessary to design a space that enhances our serenity. Check out my new story in the San Diego Union-Tribune on how to create a serene bedroom.

Time to Paint Your House?

Perhaps it’s been a while — like, 15 or 20 years? You’re starting to see a little paint peeling or fading on the trim around your sun-drenched doors or chipping on the stucco. Or you’re ready for an exterior face-lift to complement an interior renovation or new landscaping. Whatever the reason, you’re ready to paint your house, and that means hiring a professional to do the job. But with thousands of dollars on the line, you can’t hire just anyone. My new story in the San Diego Union-Tribune's Home & Garden section offers tips for how to do it right.

Versatile, Innovative Grain Bowls

Love me some grain bowls! They’re inventive, they’re casual, they’re adaptable and they’re easy to eat. Chef Ryan Bullock King of Joya Organic Kitchen gave me a primer on how to make them. Check out his recipes in my new story in The San Diego Union-Tribune's food section:

Lightening the look: Fresh design helps family fall in love with Del Sur home

A large backyard and hefty square footage can go a long way in helping home buyers decide to purchase a house, despite qualms about the interior aesthetics. That was certainly the case for a couple who overcame their reservations about a dark and dated interior when they bought a two-story, 3,800-square-foot home in Del Sur in 2019. What sold the couple, who asked to be anonymous, was the big yard and the spacious rooms of the five-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home, built in 2013.

The couple bought the house and brought in Realm Design to lighten the look in the kitchen, playroom, and primary bath. Now they’re in love. Read about the creative changes made that resulted in a bright, luxuriously playful home for this growing family in my new story for the UT’s Hot Property Estates magazine.

Want Your Kids to Cook? Start With Kid-Safe Kitchen Tools

One of the greatest gifts you can give your children is the life skill of cooking. Get them started early making nutritious dishes and they are more likely to develop lifelong healthy eating habits. But they need to be safe at the kitchen counter with tools that fit their small hands and won’t endanger them. My new story for the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section offers plenty of options from eggbeaters and peelers to choppers and even knives. Thank you to Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center for your help!

Mid-Century Modern Makeover in La Jolla Shores

He bought a mid-century modern duplex in the heart of La Jolla Shores as a single man, living in one unit and renting out the other. Then he moved to New York and got married. The couple decided to relocate back to San Diego and renovate his—now their—duplex. The rental unit was updated, but their unit got two new floors and a totally reinvented interior. They’ve got the space—and view—they wanted with a modern, yet warm look. Take a look at what they did in my new Hot Property Estates story.