Melanie is proud to offer a variety of services to her clients. From a quick decorating fix to full-service design, Redecorating By Melanie can assist you with:

• Room Redesigns
• Custom Furniture
• Custom Window Treatments
• Paint Color Refinements
• Accessory Refinements
• New Home Set-Up
• Apartments and Vacation Homes

One of the best design tools is a wash or splash of color. But how do you pick the right color for the room? Colors play a major role in your life and color choices throughout your home and office will influence your mood, so be mindful about your color choices.

Whites and Neutrals: These hues project purity, cleanliness, and neutrality. Whites add to your mental clarity, encourage us to clear clutter or obstacles, purify thoughts or actions and evoke a feeling of fresh beginnings.

Reds: Even more powerful than yellows are the reds. We associate red with love, danger, desire, speed, strength, and even stop signs. It is considered the first color that is recognized by human eye and this color promotes alertness, increases vitality, increases strength, and stimulates conversation. Ideal for dining rooms and kitchens, a dash of red as an accent can spice up other rooms as well.

Greens: A fresh color to use in almost any room. It represents nature, environment, health, good luck, youth and fertility and is associated with a healing force, nature and growth. You can use green almost anywhere, as long as it is the right shade.

Blues: Considered a universal color, it represents peace, tranquility, stability, trust, confidence, security, loyalty, sky, water, cold, technology, and even depression. Blue can slow the pulse rate, lower body temperature, and reduce appetite. Blue is known for its calming effect and should be used in any room you would like to promote tranquility and peace, like a bedroom.

Browns: Representing earth and steadiness, many people's first association with brown is chocolate, which symbolizes smoothness and luxury. Brown tends to make us feel luxurious, elegant, comforted, earthy, wiser, and stronger. If you need a touch of sophistication in a room, brown may be just what you need.

The career life area is located in the North sector of the home. Find the north area of the home for all levels in your home. Next, find the north sector in your office or the place where you do activities related to your career.

Clean the career area and remove clutter. Even clutter in the career area of the basement can have an effect. All areas of the home have an influence on your career.

The career colors are blue and black. You can accent areas with these colors in the form of art, accessories and/or paint.

The best pictures would depict your career. A doctor might choose a Norman Rockwell black and white photo of the child waiting for the doctor. A business man might select a photo of a fishing boat filled with fish to represent his clients. A teacher may enjoy a print with children. Most importantly, the art needs to speak to you.

The shape for your career area is wavy, similar to ocean waves. Look for undulating lines that are soft and not structured in your art and accessories. Fabrics can be used for this cure.

For a new job or new direction in life, consider adding an item that either has water in it (like an aquarium or vase with flowers), or use a symbol of water (like a painting of a stream or river, or a collection of sea shells from a beach vacation). Or, you could use some Feng Shui symbols of water which include the color black and mirrors.

When you add an item, do it consciously with the intention that you are placing it there to help you with your new direction. If you add the intention, you'll be amazed how much faster it works!