Vol. 5, Issue 3
Summer 2024

It's December! Although the snow has been minimal here in Bloomington, it's frigid, and all my Advent paraphernalia are pronouncing loudly that we are too late to issue a Fall Newsletter. Nevertheless, we persist! We delayed this issue on purpose, actually, to be able to include the talented Nolan Calisch's recent photos of my kids' bathroom, as well as a color-drenched ensuite addition on the south side of town. (The spaces, coincidentally, are in green and blue hues, evoking both Christmas and Hanukkah and therefore making our Fall-Newsletter-in-December feel perhaps more timely.) We hope, for ourselves and you, that we are all able to see past the scurry of list-making, pageant-going, gift-hunting and party-hosting, to enjoy this season of early darkness and appreciate the hygge of it, to give in to the gravitational force of a crackling fire, and to let a few of your December hours unfold with an intentional quiet. And may we just remind you that the calm of that last image is created and enhanced by a thoughtfully designed, warm and inviting space. Love your home; you're going to be spending a lot of time in it during the cold months ahead.

Project Reveal: Splash of Joy/Suite Green  

Today's newsletter is brought to you by the colors Green and Blue, and a little bit of Yellow. Just before Thanksgiving, we photographed my kids' bathroom - renovated this past summer after 20 years of living with the mostly-original 1959 finishes - and a bedroom/bath addition at the home of one of my favorite fellow female business owners and artists in town. The design for the latter has been underway since early 2023, and while we didn't intend these spaces to be in similar color schemes, much less to photograph both in the same day, it turns out they will forever live as a duo: two light- and color-filled updates on happy older homes that are full of people and pets and comings and goings, lots of art and lots of love. More background and images of these projects on our website, as well as teasers for more to-be-photographed spaces in 2025!

What We Are Digging: High Point Fall 2024 Trends

The SYH Procurement Team yet again travelled to High Point, North Carolina, for the Fall Markets, where we, yet again, ate good food, learned from panels of experts and peers, met like-minded creatives, and saw, sat on and tested ALL the latest in furniture and lighting and rugs and art and throws. As usual, it was exhausting and invaluable - and even more fun this year with our hilarious and talented friend Ali Vollmer who is busy doing beautiful work over in Columbus. (Give her a follow!)

While we tend to ask our clients, "Trends, Schmends, what do you love?" we do track the trends - they are fun and inescapable. So without further ado, here's what seems to be all the rage this Fall.

Strand Lighting. Necklaces for your home!

Professor Plum

Professor Plum, In the Library, and the Ballroom, and the Conservatory. The red-orange-brown warming trends we have been seeing for a while have gone full on Burgundy-Crimson-Purple this fall.

Curved Sofas

Local Spotlight: Habitat For Humanity Women+ Build

Every day that we get to do this work of creating homes with and for our clients, we are aware that all around us there are people who struggle just to find safe, affordable shelter for themselves and their families, much less renovate or decorate those homes. It's a multi-faceted problem that we know many, many people in our community and beyond are working hard every day to tackle. One such organization is Habitat for Humanity, which hosts a Women+ Build every year, that gives scores of local women an opportunity to come together to build two homes in just three weeks. For our part, we get to  learn by doing some of the things we are usually asking our contractors and subs to do! It's easy to join a team and raise or donate the minimum $300 required to participate; you might even consider joining the S.H.E. Society, committing to raise $1000/year over five years. Click the orange drop-down Women+ Build box here to read more, and stay tuned to the Women+ Build Facebook page for specifics on the next build, in September 2025! Meanwhile, shout-out to our own Simon Yeley, who leads the Habitat Chapter at Bloomington South High School, where Giving Tuesday donations have topped $2000 already this week!

Project on the Horizon?

If you have a home project on the horizon, whether you want to build, renovate, or furnish and decorate, SYH should be your first call! That's not only because we sometimes have a waitlist, but also because we help you articulate your needs and wants, set aesthetic and budgetary expectations, visualize, and prioritize. We work with you to craft a plan, so that when it's time to connect you to a builder or start hunting for vintage and artisan pieces, everyone has what they need to be efficient and effective. Reach out to us to tell us about your project, and a real live human (named Caitlin) will schedule an initial consultation. That's when I meet with you to get to know you and see your space or property, to hear all your hopes and hang-ups, and offer on-the-spot feedback and advice to help you determine your next steps. If the next step for you is comprehensive design services, we pencil you in and launch your project as soon as your name rises to the top.

At SYH, we believe in the power of good design to change the way you feel and function in your home. Life is too short not to love your home. If you long to live in a home that has the same qualities as your favorite humans - depth, texture, intrigue, light and lightness, color, whimsy and warmth - we'll be a good fit. We're looking so forward to meeting you.

One Last Thing

Most of our new clients find us via word of mouth, making YOU, our biggest fans and followers, our Number One Most Important Marketing Tool! Would you have a couple minutes to leave us a glowing review? We would be so grateful.