​Call me to discuss the possibilities!  You might be surprised at how some new wallpaper can really freshen up your home in lieu of just paint.  

Additionally, if you're a person that likes crafting and making unique items, then you might even want to purchase some of the Rolife miniature rooms and shops to build. They’re very challenging and a great way to spend some quality crafting time.

In the United States we have readers from all 50 States - with the largest concentrations being in the following 10 States:

• Massachusetts
• New York
• California
• Virginia
• Texas
• Illinois
• Florida
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Georgia

​Since our interior design services are located in Sudbury Massachusetts, our readers in the Boston metro area are of acute interest to us. These readers constitute 17% of all our readers – but actually account for 37% or our website’s page views – looking at more pages and staying on the pages longer. They are primarily located in Sudbury, Boston, Concord, Acton, Concordia, Maynard, Wellesley, Dedham, Newton and Waltham; which is great for us since all of these towns are close enough for us to actually be able to visit to help convert these readers into happy clients.

​The majority of our users look at our site between the hours of 9:00 AM and 12:00 AM (midnight).

Most of our readers find us either by searching on Google (69%) or by previously having been to our website and coming directly to us (14%). A much smaller percentage (9%) find our website through Pinterest photos that our readers post in their online accounts.

​The majority of our users view our website from their desktop computer (49%) or their mobile device (46%) using either Safari (44%) or Chrome (39%) browsers.

​Hopefully this data shows you that you’re in good company as you view our Interior Design portfolio photos, or read through our Interior Decorating blog posts. Our wish is that they give you some information that will inspire your design vision and interior decorating activities. Wherever you’re from, we’re glad that you stopped by to look over our CSID website!

​If you're located in the Boston Metro area - give us a call!

Center Stage Interior Designs started in Sudbury 19 years ago, and during those years we've developed wonderful relationships with the other local business owners in the Interior Design and Home Décor industry; relationships that benefit all my clients since it allows them to use CSID as a “one stop shop” for all their design needs.
 
Some of my favorite Sudbury small businesses are:

• Anne Hincks Real Estate (Anne Hincks) - https://www.kw.com/kw/agent/annehinckssudburyhomes   
• Carpet Carousel (Shawn, Melanie and Carol) - http://carpetcarousel.net/  
• Cavicchio Greenhouses - http://www.cavicchio.com/  
• Hamill for Hire (Handyman) - ​​https://porch.com/sudbury-ma/handymen/hamill-for-hire-1/pp  
• Heather Garden Design (Heather Halsey) - https://www.instagram.com/heather_garden_design/?hl=en  
• JLB Custom Memory Quilts (Jana Blanchette) - https://pepperlane.co/jlbcustomquilts  
• Laurel Grove (Michelle and Isabelle Palmer) - ​​https://laurelgroveshop.com/  
• Les Bouquets Du Grillon (Isabelle Zee) - https://www.bouquetsdugrillon.com/
• McGlynn Clinton & Hall Insurance Agency (Patti and Larry McGlynn) - ​​​https://www.mchinsure.com/  
• Note-Worthy Experiences Music and Voice Lessons (Renee Bordner) - ​http://www.note-worthyexperiences.com/  
• Pure Haven Essentials by Jen Barsamian (non-toxic skin and body products) - ​https://purehaven.com/
• Stephanie Stein Lapat, SAT Tutoring and Classes
• Upholstery on Broadway (Kevin Kennedy) - https://www.upholsteryonbroadway.com/home

 
In addition to my favorites, here in Sudbury there are lots of other great options to “Shop Small” at our local businesses. The best way to locate them is to look at the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce’s list of members.
 
              https://www.sudbury.org/memberslisting
 
So just remember, today, and every day, before you look elsewhere - you should really Shop Sudbury – especially if you want these businesses to be there in the future!
 
And, of course, if you need any decorating help give me a call at 978-440-7264 so that we can make your home cozy, festive and fun for the Winter ahead.

2. Nesting Coffee Tables.  Although this isn’t a new concept, there are now many options for space-efficient and versatile coffee tables, like the round nested tables shown below, on the market. Some even come with marble or stone tops that add lots of versatility - the children can play and do writing projects, and your friends can safely set down a cup of coffee or drink. Yes, after Covid, we will eventually have guests in our homes again! Plus, introducing a stone top provides interest and dimension to your family room in addition to beautiful functionality. 

3. Expandable Bench.  I came across this clever bench at my local Jordan’s Furniture in Natick, MA, and thought that the idea was just ingenious. They show it at the base of a bed, but I can also envision it in a mudroom or entryway, neatly compacted down like in the last photo.  The wood top would be perfect for you and your children to take off winter boots after playing in the snow. Then, when you have company and need to expand your dining room seating to accommodate more people, you can expand this bench to seat at 3 or 4 people. And look at the price Jordan’s is charging, amazingly low for such a versatile bench.

4. Space-saving console table with stools for back of the sofa.  A year ago I blogged about the clever “Gathering Island” concept: “Furniture for Gathering in the Family Room”. Below is a photo of a similar concept, that I recently found at Jordan’s, where a flip top panel at the front is a terrific additional feature. You can put this piece behind a sofa that might be floating in the room, and then be able to work on your laptop while sitting higher than your family members who have scored the comfy sofa seats. Convertible furniture is really nothing new, of course, and college students and city-dwellers face this kind of challenge all the time when trying to determine how to live in an ultra-small space.  For homeowners, however, we seldom think or look for adding space saving ideas to enhance our existing spaces. Additionally, if we are lucky enough to live in a moderate or large size house, we might not even contemplate googling “space-saving” furniture. (But then that’s what you hire me for - helping you envision the possibilities.)

5. Having it all in a coffee table.  Upholstered ottomans in front of a sofa are very popular nowadays. Really, who doesn’t want to put their feet up at the end of a day?  But relying on a tray set upon the coffee table to hold drinks and snacks seems like an unstable proposition for everyday use. Here are two coffee tables which combine the ottoman idea with the hard-surface idea. The first is from LazyBoy, with a pull-out table top, and I spotted the second, with a hard shelf, at Boston Interiors.  

6. Another versatile coffee table.  By now, you can tell I’ve been shopping for coffee tables, right?  Here’s a coffee table I found at LazyBoy which beautifully combines the need for drawer storage of TV remotes and such, but still has a glass top for functionality and durability. It doesn’t  dominate, but is a happy “supporting player” in a family room.  

7. Storage ottoman that converts to a chair.  This is a clever piece that I thought would be perfect in a family room or basement play room; found at Jordan’s.  I can envision storing throws (or Legos and action figures or dolls) in the piece which would be easy to move around a basement.

I hope that seeing some of these clever furniture ideas energizes you to examine your own spaces, particularly your family room. Let’s face it – we are all spending lots of time at home as we get through the Covid morass, and this is the time to at least identify where you could be more comfortable and productive in your home.

You might not know it, but the furniture industry is booming during Covid - all the manufacturers are working, and interior designers (such as myself) are happy to help you make your home more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing while we ride this all out. 
 
So call me, and let’s do a virtual walk through of your home, or a socially-distanced in-person visit.  ​

​Since there’s always a lot of confusion about the rules for the MA Tax Free Weekend here are the main points:

• When is the 2020 Tax Free Weekend?
  • The sales tax holiday for 2020 will occur on August 29th and 30th.
• What items are covered?
  • During the sales tax holiday weekend, purchases by individuals of most retail items are not subject to the state sales tax.
  • Retail items of up to $2,500, purchased in Massachusetts for personal use during these two days, will be exempt from sales tax.
• What if I purchase multiple items that each cost $2,500 or less, but the total price exceeds $2,500?  Are all items eligible for the sales tax holiday exemption?
  • As long as the price of each individual item is $2,500 or less, you can purchase as many items as you want together, tax-free, even if all the items added together cost more than $2,500.
• Do all retail items qualify for the sales tax holiday exemption?
  • No. The following items do not qualify for the sales tax holiday exemption:
    • Meals
    • Motor vehicles
    • Motorboats
    • Telecommunications services
    • Gas
    • Steam
    • Electricity
    • Tobacco products
    • Marijuana or marijuana products
    • Alcoholic beverages, and
    • Any single item whose price is more than $2,500.
• What about internet sales?  Do those sales qualify for the sales tax holiday exemption?
  • Yes. If you order and pay for an eligible item over the internet on the sales tax holiday, Eastern Daylight Time, that item will qualify for the sales tax holiday exemption.  No sales tax is due on that purchase, even if delivery of the item occurs after the sales tax holiday weekend.
• Do I have to take home an item I purchase on the sales tax holiday weekend for that purchase to qualify for the sales tax holiday exemption?
  • No. As long as you pay for the item in full on the sales tax holiday weekend, you can arrange for delivery of the item after the sales tax holiday weekend.  

 
If you want more details straight from the Government here’s a link to their Sales Tax Holiday website’s FAQs:
            https://www.mass.gov/info-details/sales-tax-holiday-frequently-asked-questions
 
So, take a look and then give me a call if you want to make some of those decorating purchases that we’ve previously discussed, or some that you just thought of. As long as the purchase is made on either the 29th or 30th there’s no sales tax – even if the product isn’t delivered or installed until a later date.
 
So get cracking! You’ll save at least 6.25% on your purchases – and to further entice shoppers many stores are even running other sales in conjunction with the Tax Free Weekend. I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Although barn quilt blocks have been around for many years, there's been a spike in popularity in the past 20 years. "From humble beginnings in Adams County, Ohio, the idea has spread to 49 States with more than 9,000 barn quilts organized into more than 120 Barn Quilt Trails - and surely thousands more that are not mapped." - Suzi Parron, author of the books "Barn Quilts and the American Quilt trail Movement" and "Following the Barn Quilt Trail”.
 
As detailed in a John Deere Homestead article (https://www.johndeerehomestead.com/2016/09/04/barn-quilt-craze/), the Barn Quilt Block idea dates back to Maxine and Donna Sue Groves of Manchester, Ohio. “In 1989, my mother and I moved to a small farm that had an old - and very plain looking - tobacco barn,” says Donna Sue. “Mother was an avid quilter so I promised her I would brighten up the barn by adding a quilt square. Friends and neighbors chided me into actually following through and I had a Snail’s Trail quilt square painted and hung in 2001, but in the process a group of us decided to paint a bunch of them in hopes of developing a tourist attraction. We put quilt squares on twenty barns (the number of squares in a typical bed spread) and the idea took off like wildfire.”
 
Barn quilts are generally chosen from a family's own colorful quilt pattern that has been passed down through the years. Then the family's quilt pattern is turned into public art on their own barn or other building, and it becomes part of a quilt trail.
 
If you want to read more about this interesting phenomenon, here are some links to browse through:

• http://barnquiltinfo.com/about.htm
• https://classroom.synonym.com/the-history-of-barn-quilt-squares-12080523.html
• https://suzyquilts.com/barn-quilts/
• https://www.wideopencountry.com/ever-see-a-quilt-pattern-on-a-barn-heres-where-the-tradition-came-from/​