Still fresh from a spa weekend getaway with my husband my thoughts aren't ready to turn to much else. We had been needing this trip for a long time and it was well worth the wait. Much to my long anticipated delight we spent one night at the brand-spanking-newly renovated Bedford Springs Resort in Bedford, PA. I don't have space enough to go into detail of the luxury of the experience of the spa, dining, and accommodations, but I must briefly gush of the architecture and interior design.

For the past twenty years on occasion I would have the opportunity to ride by the vast empty buildings of the once grand hotel. Face pressed to the window as we came around the bend I would beg, "Drive slow!" in order to take in as much of the architecture as I could soak up. I had never seen it in operation, only vacant and abandoned. Its cries to be restored broke my heart because I did not have the means to revive this hidden treasure.

But others who did heard the cries as well. And today, after a $120million renovation, its doors are once again on their hinges, freshly painted, and open to the public. The interiors are all I had imagined them to be with grand winding staircases, ballrooms, chandeliers, fireplaces, and a first-of-its-kind spring fed indoor pool with a surrounding balcony where string quartets would serenade swimmers. Grandeur fully restored to its original elegance and beyond anything I had ever experienced. And yet...

I was comfortable. Nothing felt as if it couldn't be touched or sat on. There was no air of walking into a museum. The colors were bright and modern, the mix of different periods of comfy, inviting furniture well executed in their coordination and placement. My interior designer mind was not working to change things for the better. I was completely relaxed and content.

We can't wait to go back. But after the drive home, crawling into my own bed in the room designed just for my husband and me felt like we were still on vacation. Timeless, good design relaxes the mind, inspires the spirit, and pleasures the senses. On a smaller scale our own homes can and should be this "luxurious," providing us the getaway we need everyday.

Luxury awaits, call Jen to turn your home into your own personalized resort. Restyle: designing Central Pennsylvania's innovative interiors.

You put a lot of work into your home keeping it clean, repaired, and comfortable for all who live there. But what does your home do for you? Aside from shelter, what extra benefits do you get out of your space? Does your home nurture the time you spend with your family? Does it provide ample occasion to be together but still give you a place to be alone? Does it inspire creativity or provide relaxation? You may not realize how much your home has to offer you. The proper placement of your furnishings, the right lighting, even the color of your walls can affect how you and your family interact with each other and what you accomplish in your own space.

Every home needs at least one room that fits everyone who lives there comfortably and offers options in their activities, a place to be together while doing your own thing. Keep the computer in the living room, along with a stereo and lots of comfy seating and light for reading. Another way of keeping the family together is to open up your kitchen to the rest of the house. The notion of hiding what happens in the kitchen has become antiquated. With the popularity of cooking shows and the elegance of equipment and cabinetry the kitchen is fast becoming the showplace of the home. Most walls can be easily removed with little cost and repair and the resulting functionality of a "great room" is invaluable.

Create space for personal needs as well. With the right organization small closets can become scrapbooking areas, a bathroom can be a relaxing spa, and an uncluttered basement can transform into an envied home theater. Relaxation and rejuvenation are some of the most important needs our homes can fulfill. Don't overlook your bedroom when considering remodeling or redecorating your home, make it a priority. Be sure to design for you and your family, not for the occasional company. When your home is planned around your needs and comforts your guests will feel comfortable in it too.

Jen Mulledy Graybash is the owner of "restyle", designing Central Pennsylvania's innovative interiors. Schedule an in-home consultation for a functionality assessment and discover what your home could be better providing for you and your family.

The holidays are a great time for experimenting with decorating our homes in a way we might not consider any other time of year. We're more inclined to push past the boundaries we normally set for ourselves. The inspiration of the season brings out the designer within. But why not use that creativity the rest of the year?

What is it about your holiday decorations that inspire you? Is it the ornament that's been passed down through generations that invokes nostalgia, the glow of the lights that warm the season, or the shiny baubles that bring a touch of fun into an otherwise regular day? Driving through your neighborhood or browsing the stores what makes you stop and take notice? The colors? The motion? The imagination?

When the holidays are over and it's time to put away the decorations don't pack up your creativity. Put your inhibitions away instead. Use the same inspirations from your holiday decorating in your post-holiday home. Once the Christmas tree is tossed bring the outdoors in with a water feature or silkscreen prints of plants or leaves. Keep the whimsy with something a bit avant-garde such as a small mirrored table or bright metal tray in your otherwise conventional living space. Experiment with lighting: use softer or maybe brighter bulbs, add some up-lighting, or change the old ceiling fan to a fun and fancy chandelier. Surround yourself with color. Painting is the most cost effective way of transforming your space. While remembering the bright colors of the holidays and standing within your now seemingly drab walls it's the perfect time to pick a new color for your home.

Draw on the momentum of holiday decorating and introduce its inspiration into your everyday life. Your home will awaken with a new vibrancy you may not have otherwise attempted.

restyle's lead designer and owner, Jen Mulledy Graybash, studied architecture at the University of Maryland and has been part of the design industry for over 10 years. As a local homeowner she sees the need for fresh ideas in central Pennsylvania's current design market and has created restyle with the intent to incorporate innovation, originality, and individuality with the customer's personal style and needs. restyle hopes to be a driving force in the area's economy, pursuit of continued relevance, and exploration of technology, design, and imagination.