Style smarts
Style Smarts
Claire Patterson brings her lifelong love of home styling to the Woodbury community.
by Nora Clos
photo by Emily J. Davis
Jodi Johnson worked with local stylist Claire Patterson, right, to make enhancements in her home.
Although we’d all love our homes to be creative, design-conscious spaces that reflect who we are, not everyone can afford to pay top dollar to an interior designer to make that dream a reality. Now, thanks to Woodbury resident Claire Patterson, you may not have to. In January 2014, Patterson launched Homestyling LLC, a one-woman operation aimed at helping local homeowners make their homes beautiful on a budget.
Patterson started home styling after previous work in retail and as a writer and editor. She says all her previous jobs have been creative endeavors that have built on one another and helped bring her to where she is today. “Sometimes opportunities present themselves and [you] just can’t say no,” Patterson says. Her new home styling business is one such opportunity.
Patterson attributes her love of interior design and her desire to create beautiful spaces to her parents. “They inspired my interest in creating a beautiful home from a young age,” she says. She fondly recalls helping her parents with painting and refinishing furniture, hanging wallpaper, and keeping the house looking its best. “I was allowed to choose the color for my room and paint it myself,” she says. “That experience definitely got me hooked.”
Patterson says that as a home stylist in the Woodbury area, her business provides a great alternative for those looking to rejuvenate their homes for less. “I want my clients to know that we can decorate and use their spaces without tearing down walls and overextending the budget,” she says. A beautiful home is one that contains all of the things that have meaning to whoever lives there, she says, not one that has all the trendiest accents or most expensive furniture.
Working with this philosophy in mind, Patterson first provides a free consultation and then charges a modest $25 per hour for her services, which include visualizing rooms, hanging artwork and arranging accent items, rearranging furniture, and shopping for furniture, art and accessories. She is also happy to connect her clients with additional resources, be that a painter, a carpenter, a seamstress or a moving company. “I pay close attention to what my clients tell me during our initial consult,” she says. “The goal is always to make them feel happy in their homes.”
Jodi Johnson was referred to Patterson in May after she and her family had moved to Woodbury and she felt her new home needed a little inspiration. So far, she says, Patterson has helped her arrange several rooms in her home, though most of the focus has been on the family room. Johnson had purchased a custom-built media console, but thought the space needed more attention than just that addition. “She helped hang a photo arrangement and helped me redo the colors in the room,” Johnson says. “She is very on top of things and just lovely to work with.”
Johnson says she appreciates Patterson’s commitment to using things her clients already own to enhance their homes, and that she has a great eye for taking mementos, photos, and decorative objects and rearranging them or highlighting them in a new way. “It’s so exciting to see the changes she brings to the spaces she works on,” Johnson says.
Home Styling Tips from Claire Patterson
Always love the things you bring into your home. Use colors and patterns that make you happy; surround yourself with objects that are meaningful to you.
Display similar items in groups; for example, display all your family photos in a grouping instead of scattered throughout your home.
Consider mixing and matching. If you love both crystal and pottery, Patterson says, don’t shy away from displaying them together. “The combination of color and bling is striking,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to just go for it!”
Trust your instincts. If it looks good to you and makes you happy, then it’s right for your home. After all, you’re the one who lives there. //
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Homestyling LLC
Claire Patterson
651.587.6684
facebook.com/woodburyhomestylin
Although we’d all love our homes to be creative, design-conscious spaces that reflect who we are, not everyone can afford to pay top dollar to an interior designer to make that dream a reality. Now, thanks to Woodbury resident Claire Patterson, you may not have to. In January 2014, Patterson launched Homestyling LLC, a one-woman operation aimed at helping local homeowners make their homes beautiful on a budget.
Patterson started home styling after previous work in retail and as a writer and editor. She says all her previous jobs have been creative endeavors that have built on one another and helped bring her to where she is today. “Sometimes opportunities present themselves and [you] just can’t say no,” Patterson says. Her new home styling business is one such opportunity.
Patterson attributes her love of interior design and her desire to create beautiful spaces to her parents. “They inspired my interest in creating a beautiful home from a young age,” she says. She fondly recalls helping her parents with painting and refinishing furniture, hanging wallpaper, and keeping the house looking its best. “I was allowed to choose the color for my room and paint it myself,” she says. “That experience definitely got me hooked.”
Patterson says that as a home stylist in the Woodbury area, her business provides a great alternative for those looking to rejuvenate their homes for less. “I want my clients to know that we can decorate and use their spaces without tearing down walls and overextending the budget,” she says. A beautiful home is one that contains all of the things that have meaning to whoever lives there, she says, not one that has all the trendiest accents or most expensive furniture.
Working with this philosophy in mind, Patterson first provides a free consultation and then charges a modest $25 per hour for her services, which include visualizing rooms, hanging artwork and arranging accent items, rearranging furniture, and shopping for furniture, art and accessories. She is also happy to connect her clients with additional resources, be that a painter, a carpenter, a seamstress or a moving company. “I pay close attention to what my clients tell me during our initial consult,” she says. “The goal is always to make them feel happy in their homes.”
Jodi Johnson was referred to Patterson in May after she and her family had moved to Woodbury and she felt her new home needed a little inspiration. So far, she says, Patterson has helped her arrange several rooms in her home, though most of the focus has been on the family room. Johnson had purchased a custom-built media console, but thought the space needed more attention than just that addition. “She helped hang a photo arrangement and helped me redo the colors in the room,” Johnson says. “She is very on top of things and just lovely to work with.”
Johnson says she appreciates Patterson’s commitment to using things her clients already own to enhance their homes, and that she has a great eye for taking mementos, photos, and decorative objects and rearranging them or highlighting them in a new way. “It’s so exciting to see the changes she brings to the spaces she works on,” Johnson says.
Home Styling Tips from Claire Patterson
- Always love the things you bring into your home. Use colors and patterns that make you happy; surround yourself with objects that are meaningful to you.
- Display similar items in groups; for example, display all your family photos in a grouping instead of scattered throughout your home.
- Consider mixing and matching. If you love both crystal and pottery, Patterson says, don’t shy away from displaying them together. “The combination of color and bling is striking,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to just go for it!”
- Trust your instincts. If it looks good to you and makes you happy, then it’s right for your home. After all, you’re the one who lives there.
Homestyling LLC
Claire Patterson
651.587.6684
facebook.com/woodburyhomestyling
