Designing Bliss

A Done in a Day Project For The Mantle

2010-10-27T15:19:00.000-04:00

I bought two of these sweet little ceramic urn vases at a local thrift store on 50% off day so I paid just $2.50 each. One had an "as is" sticker, but it was just because of a small stain. I just turn the stained area to the wall. I mean for $2.50 who cares about a little stain?

Then the dilemma began as to what to put in the little urns (that I had determined would go on the mantle). I don't have a cutting garden and I can't afford to buy fresh flowers weekly to keep them filled, but I really wanted something "green" but not an artificial plant.

I finally decided on decorative moss balls. Since I needed a very specific size to fit perfectly into each vase opening, I decided to make my own.

I picked up two foam balls and a sheet of the instant green moss at JoAnn's which ended up being super cheap because I had those handy 50% off coupons.

I got out my trusty glue gun and got down to it.

And many minor and one major (ugly, blistering) burns later, my moss balls were done and looking lovely in their little vases.

I'm still awaiting the arrival of these candlesticks I ordered from Restoration Hardware that will eventually flank either end of the mantel. However, I just received yet another notice from Resto that they are delayed until "early November" so who knows? It may look like this until the Christmas decorations go up in a few weeks.

Off to work....

The Foyer (finally) Got Its Makeover

2010-10-18T16:18:00.000-04:00

I've said it before and, sadly, I must say it again, I'm a bad blogger. I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted.

I actually tried to post a few times but was unsuccessful. I won't bore you with too much detail but I took my macbook to the "genius bar" at the local Apple store to have it upgraded and he accidentally wiped out my hard drive. Yeah....it hurt. Still hurts to remember it. After the Apple expert (stuck to the experts on their phone help line this time) patiently worked with me over several days, we restored much of the drive but some things just don't work the same way.

I tried a few times to post and just as I was finishing up the post, it would abruptly "blow up". Nothing. Everything wiped out. My choices were to throw the laptop at the wall, cry or shut the lid and walk away. I chose walking away cause I really need the laptop and crying....well, it isn't much fun is it?

So a month later, here I am. I've been crazy busy and my business is really picking up (yay!!). Still, I've been finding time for lots of little projects that I plan to share.

We left off with my foyer that I wanted to makeover. After having had my garage sale, I had a pretty good grip on what I had stashed away. So I decided on a wall of retro images .... mostly black and white with just a couple in color and I actually found ones I like within the same color group. I also had a nice supply of black frames and white mats.

For this frame, I just pulled three vintage looking post cards from a book of post cards I purchased...ummm...well, a loooong time ago. I think it was while living in my second apartment. Wow, I kept those things for a ridiculously long time. But hey, they did come in handy :)

This black and white exhibition poster I bought at an artists studio in Cleveland's Little Italy on one of the art walks I attended about 13 years ago. They had a ton of old advertisements and posters in cheap plastic frames for about $1 each. I was looking for cheap art for my guest room and this fit the bill.

The sketch of Jackie Kennedy I cut from an old coffee table book on the 60s and the sketch of Grace Kelly I downloaded from the web. Both were chosen because I love their style. Jackie for obvious reasons. Grace because she was such a mystery and truly a classic movie star. No one has mystery today in the age of TMZ.

This Derry & Tom's poster was purchased at the same art gallery as the exhibition poster, also in the same cheap plastic frame I bought it in. Derry & Tom's is an old London department store that no longer exists. I love that the oranges, tans and black echo the vintage post cards in the top frame.

For my initials I just went to JoAnn Etc. and purchased those cheap wood letters and spray painted them white. This is my first and middle initial. I attempted to put my last name initial as well, but it chose to plunge to its death and shatter after I hung it. I did buy another one, but when that one also attempted to plunge to its death (I managed to catch it in time), I decided it was best to just leave it at these two. Who needs a last name?

Lastly, I cut this photo of a 60s art installation from the same book I cut Jackie's sketch.

On the other side, I simply swapped out the large gold mirror for this more contemporary mirror with coat hooks mounted on the sides. It was hard to get a good picture of it without getting major flash.

So that's my use what you have makeover of my tiny foyer. Happily only one letter was harmed in the making of this foyer wall.

I'm baaack!

2010-09-15T16:31:00.000-04:00

After a rather painful episode involving the "genius bar" at my local Apple store, I finally have my macbook up and running and almost restored to its original magnificence. Some things are lost forever, but that's life right? Always hand over your laptop with great apprehension and never do so without backing up your hard drive before hand. Lesson learned.

On to my current project. I'm giving my teeny tiny foyer a cheapo makeover. Prior to selling much of my junk this past weekend in a garage sale, one wall of my foyer looked like this:

The other side had a larger gold mirror (all of the mirrors sold in the garage sale - yay) that I forgot to photograph. Rather unremarkable but it served its purpose.

For my makeover, I wanted to replace it with a larger more contemporary mirror. I haunted the aisles of the local Home Goods for weeks and this weekend finally hit pay dirt when I saw this:

Keep in mind it's actually upside down because that happened to be the way I pulled it out of the car and it was rather heavy so I elected not to mess with righting it until I'm ready to hang it (either tonight or tomorrow).

Best part are these hooks (again, photographed upside down because I'm too lazy to go into iphoto and flip the picture)...4 in all...that you can hang your keys or a hoodie on to grab on your way out the door.

For the opposite wall, I'm going to cover it in black framed posters, photos, etc that I had around the house. I only had to purchase a couple small black frames from JoAnn's (using my 40% off coupons) for the few things that didn't already have frames.

I can't wait to show it to you :).

Crisp White Bedding = Sweet Dreams

2010-09-01T16:55:00.000-04:00

Bedrooms have been on my mind lately. Specifically, I love how virtually any color comes alive when it has some crisp white to contrast with...white wood trim, white bedding, white accessories. There's nothing like crisp, clean white bedding to make you want to crawl into bed and dream a little dream.

Here are some real life (i.e. people like us) bedrooms from BHG readers.

I love the way the soft yellows and gray play off the crisp white (not to mention the dark wood raised ceiling). The ghost chair is the perfect touch.

Sage and white...very sophisticated.

Love the traditional navy and white with dark wood furniture.

Chocolate walls and white bedding...soooo perfect.

The picture below I included for just one reason...check out the floor. No, not the beautiful glossy dark finish...check out the stairs leading up to the glossy wood floors. The bed was placed on a platform within the bedroom. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't make it through one night in this bed. One trip to the potty at 2 AM and it's all over...SPLAT. Hurts just thinking about it.

What are your favorite colors for a bedroom?

p.s. Stay safe out there. No platforms in the bedroom please.

Spend or Save? Vintage French Linen Pillows

2010-08-31T11:35:00.000-04:00

If you follow design blogs, chances are excellent that you've come across the new rage in throw pillows. They're usually made of vintage linen, burlap, grain or feed sacks and often have a few words in French or a symbol on them. And the range in prices for these babies is all over the board.

Let's start with these very pretty versions from Tuesday Morning:

Tuesday Morning's versions range in price from $24.99 to $39.99, but If you have experience with TM, you know it's hit or miss and when the featured item is gone, it's gone. They won't be restocking the item.

Next up is Restoration Hardware, featuring the vintage linen pillow covers (inserts sold separately) ranging in price from $28 to $32. I can tell you from experience, they're super soft.

Pottery Barn gets in on the action with a vintage grain sack version, prices ranging from $89 to $99 with inserts sold separately.

And if you're just positively flush with cash (you lucky, lucky girl), MySparrow on Etsy is offering up a pair of these for a mere $450 (pretty sure I have furniture that didn't cost that much, but hey that's just me ;-)).

Now go lay your pretty little head on something soft and vintage...oh, and French.

Shabby Chic Goes Super Sophisticated

2010-08-24T19:47:00.000-04:00

Back in 1989, Rachel Ashwell opened her first Shabby Chic store in Santa Monica, California and the look quickly gained momentum across the U.S. throughout the 90s. I loved the look as much as the next girl, even going so far as to buy one of her books to read and reread (okay, let's be honest, I looked at the pictures).

I never did transform my decor into the shabby chic look, mostly because it just seemed so over the top feminine and un-guy friendly. There were so many flowers and ruffles and girly things. Still, I always thought doses of it here and there were gorgeous.

Recently while perusing a Brit decor magazine, I came across a company that takes the shabby chic look to a new level of sophistication. Many of their furnishings are quite contemporary, but still capture the shabby chic vibe perfectly. All of the following images are from their website, http://www.chicshack.net/
and I think each one is more breathtaking than the next. Enjoy...

Okay, I'm exhausted. Go to the site...there is much eye candy to be had. And if you love a traditional nursery, they have amazing baby rooms too.

Spend or Save? Carved Candlesticks For Less

2010-08-23T14:21:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I had recently gotten a PT job at Restoration Hardware and that I had a wish list of goodies I wanted to use my awesome employee discount on, including these lovelies:

I did break down and order two of the 18" candlesticks for my mantel. They are back ordered until late October, so I can't show you how amazing they'll look on my mantel until...well, late October :(.

I decided to do a quick web search to see if a similar look could be found for less and here's what I found:

At www.avid-home.com, I found this 21.5" tall carved wood candlestick with a distressed finish that looks strikingly similar to my Resto version, except for the price...$112.50... GASP!! The 18" Resto candlestick is just $49 without my discount and the 22" (1/2" smaller than than this avid-home version) is only $59. So, you can get two of the 22" candlesticks from RH for a few dollars more than one of these avid-home candlesticks.

This set of two carved candlesticks from www.accent-furniture-direct.com can be had for a mere $231.00 and that's apparently a discount from the regular price of $288.75.

No thanks, I'll stick with my Restoration Hardware candlesticks. I just wish I didn't have to wait two plus months to get them...sigh. And no, unfortunately I'm in no way compensated by Resto for this post :-).

Spend or Save?

2010-08-18T17:13:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you find things at a high end store and think, "I could make that. I know I could." Then you start trying to assemble the individual pieces and parts and it quickly becomes clear that, although you might be able to capture the look well enough, you can't replicate the look without spending a fortune gathering everything needed to put it together. And then there's the time investment. If you're anything like me, this is where your lazy girl gene kicks in and you just pull out the wallet.

I have an accessory you can replicate in no time for a quarter of what it costs at retail. Restoration Hardware is selling these bundles of old torn up books billed as Antiqued Uncovered Book Bundles, retailing for $29.

It seems silly really ...old torn up books...where's the appeal? For me, it's just the colors and textures grouped together. But if I ever paid $29 for them, I would hope my family would consider committing me for that 5150 hold thing Brittany Spears went through when she had her little break down.

Bottom line, a trip to the thrift store and some strategic ripping and binding (used the twine I bind my recyclable papers with) later, I had my own version for the mantel:

I did purchase the cast iron letter C on top of the books. The 4" version (they come in 4 sizes and can be hung on the wall as well) was $6 with my Resto discount...so that's $10 for you non employees :-).

Go tear up some books and tell me how it went.

My Windows Are Now Fully Dressed And Ready For Their Close Up

2010-08-16T19:43:00.000-04:00

After three failed attempts with my normal standby, Overstock.com, I finally found the natural style roman shades I wanted online at Home Depot.

I climbed up on my step stool, drilled the holes for the screws (after much measuring, of course) and hung the shade on the first window. I stepped back to admire my handiwork and pull the shades up to the desired length and ....nothing. They just hung there all limp and pathetic. I pulled the shade away from the window to see if the cord had gotten messed up and found the problem:

Every last one of these plastic rings was broken...ARRRGGGGGGG. It was apparently broken before it was even shipped because there wasn't a single spec of plastic on the floor or in the box to indicate they broke post shipping. Anyway, after the agony I went through getting the darn thing up, I was in no mood to unscrew the screws and take it down, package it up and, AGAIN, have to send it back.

I decided it would be far easier to find a replacement for the broken rings. My handy Home Depot guy at the local store was on duty and advised me to go to Michael's, troll down the jewelry making aisle and find small metal rings that I could fit over the plastic. One quick trip to Michael's later I found what he had described:

I had the new metal rings attached to the plastic ones in a few minutes and it works like a dream :-),

Sigh....so happy.

Now, if I could just get those curtains properly arranged and fluffed. One crisis at a time...

I Wish I Were Here...

2010-08-06T15:30:00.000-04:00

Here is a garden I wish I had, instead of the eyesore I do have. One of these days I'll turn myself into one of those HGTV shows that makeover your hideous outdoor spaces (if my neighbors don't turn me in first).

Mom and I are hitting the garage sales tomorrow to see what bargains we can find and to get some tips for my sale later this Summer.

Enjoy some peace, quiet and sunshine...wherever you are.

The Problem With Home Improvement

2010-08-05T14:35:00.000-04:00

Have you ever noticed that when you paint or rehab a room in your house, suddenly every other room in your home appears old, tired and outdated? I hate that.

So far I've been forced to update the dining room, the living room, the bathroom (a work in progress - already thinking of changing the walls again). I have about 9 paint swatches painted on the kitchen walls trying to decide on a color there. And the bedrooms are not just calling my name...it's like they're screaming so loud I can't think straight. They want help. They want to be a new color. They want to be dressed in new bedding. They're even demanding art work. Not sure how they imagine I will pay for all these demands.

In between creating wish lists and putting costs to my big fat ideas, I seek inspiration from beautiful rooms I find courtesy of google images :)

These rooms are exactly what I'd like to achieve...a soft, mostly neutral palette.

How could you not dream beautiful dreams in these rooms?

Wishful Thinking

2010-08-03T15:40:00.000-04:00

I (very) recently got a part time job at the Restoration Hardware in my neighborhood. I have been in training this week and as I'm getting to know the merchandise, I'm developing a ~~frighteningly~~ long list of items ~~I can't afford~~ that I want to use my 40% employee discount on.

Here's what I'm currently enamored of...

These Florentine carved wood candlesticks would be perfect for either end of my mantle. Specifically either the 18" or 22" would work.

Among the lamps, I would take any of these for my bedroom...

I imagine one of these Marseilles chalkboards in my kitchen...

The washed silk quilt in ivory for my bed...

This beautiful tufted bench that I bought for a client's bedroom would look great at the end of my bed too ;-).

Here's hoping I can ~~squash and kill~~ the consumerist in me and actually come home with a paycheck ;-).

Later,

cc

Polishing Off The Dining Room

2010-07-29T15:48:00.000-04:00

Ever since I gave my dining room a makeover earlier this year, the round mirror on the north wall has looked...well, it just looks lonely. It needs sconces or something with candlelight to flank it. I finally found what I was looking for.

I had purchased two black lanterns at Home Goods a few weeks ago for about $12 each and plunked them on the mantle while I tried to figure out what I want to do with the mantle and what I want to do with the lanterns.

The gold star burst mirror hanging above the mantle and the new thrift store ivory urns don't really jive with the black lanterns so I didn't want them to stay there - they were just resting there waiting for my moment of brilliance to arrive. Sometimes I just like to place accessories somewhere and ponder them for a bit. Specifically, I put them in the living room as that's where I watch TV at night or read or listen to music, chat on the phone, etc. When you're forced to confront something often enough, you'll eventually have a moment of brilliance about what to do with it (or you'll just take it back to the store for a refund :-).

Anyhoo, my idea was to hang the lanterns on either side of the round black mirror in the dining room. So, I went to Lowe's and purchased two of these black iron plant hangers for a little less than $2 each:

Next I traced the lanterns to make paper templates. I always do this to minimize screw ups whenever I have to hang something. Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails miserably.

Then the lanterns were ready to dangle from their new hooks. Ideally, I would have preferred narrower lanterns, but these are fine. As the Nester says, it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

I'm expecting these matchstick shades from Home Depot to arrive any day now. I'm hoping they'll still allow some light in while obscuring the view of the side of my neighbor's house. It's a lovely house, I just don't necessarily want to look at from my dining room.

Next on the agenda is figuring out a new look for the living room mantle. The mirror must stay, but everything else is subject to change. Stay tuned.

Today Is Jackie's Birthday

2010-07-28T16:30:00.000-04:00

She was born in 1929 and would have been 81 today.

Like millions of others, I have always loved her style. So here is just a quick homage to one of the most stylish women who ever graced us with her presence.

The red room, restored by Jackie during her White House years.

The blue room...

And her bedroom...

There's never been anyone like her since.

Updating Accessories For Less

2010-07-22T15:57:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while you just get sick of a perfectly good accessory, but you're too cheap (okay, maybe that's just me) to spring for something fabulous from one of the wonderful retail establishments you troll for design inspiration (oops, that was just me too).

I recently decided I had enough of this...

There's nothing wrong with it really, I'm just tired of it. It has been there for a long time and I'm over it.

So, after perusing the latest issue of Canada's House & Home (love that magazine) and Cameron MacNeil's Bringing It All Together feature, I decided to try this look...

It's not dramatically different from my current centerpiece, but enough of a change to make me happy...for a while anyway. Plus, I already have all the elements except the glass lantern. Oh, and one is fine - I didn't feel I needed three as my table isn't that large anyway.

I had two bags of river rocks I picked up a year or two ago at Tuesday Morning. Wasn't sure at the time what I would do with them, but they were less than $2 a piece so what the heck?

I was too cheap to spring for the $49 glass lantern from PB, so I picked up this glass jar at T.J. Maxx for $9.99.

And here is my finished version of the look...

And here it is with an battery operated candle for when I want to leave the lid on it. Obviously I think we all love real candles best. Nothing beats or replicates the glow of a real candle, but you can't put a lid on it if you light it up. Since I keep all of my candles in baskets in the armoire a few feet away, switching out my candles from real to battery is no big deal.

You've probably spied that price sticker still on the base and the initial sticker still on the top of the jar. If you've read this blog before, you know I have to date most any accessory that comes into my house before I decide to make a commitment to it. If you haven't read the blog before, where have you been? This is fascinating stuff people! Now, if you can tear yourself away from all this decorating brilliance, go make a new centerpiece and tell me how it went ;-)

Front Door Makeover Underway

2010-07-21T12:53:00.000-04:00

Painting the front door has been a little tricky. Apparently, paint doesn't like extreme humidity - it kind of gums a bit...not pretty.

Anyway, here is the new color, Valspar's City Chartreuse. I do like it. But, it may be too much...well...green. Maybe a shade darker? I really don't want to buy more paint so I'll have to live with it for a bit before I decide. It's perfectly fine to date a look before you marry it. It prevents a lot of unhappiness (and wasted money) down the road.

This color looks very summer to me, but it might be a day brightener once the cold returns. What do you think?

My Front Door Needs a Makeover

2010-07-19T15:56:00.000-04:00

I'm in the process of painting my front door. Not just painting really, but slapping on a brand new kick plate, door knocker and, if I can find the right size for this lovely old house, new door handle.

Here is the door before in all of it's blazing red glory:

This is the color it was painted when I bought the house and I did love it for a long time. I think the Chinese believe red is good luck...or I thought I heard that once. Eventually though, it was in desperate need of a paint job and I was in desperate need of a change in color.

I have settled on green, just not on the exact shade of green. Something in the chartreuse family I think. Chartreuse is such a cheerful color. A chartreuse door just says this is a happy house, don't you think?

This is how far I've gotten with City Chartreuse from Valspar:

It'a a little brighter in person. Not sure if it's too bright or not ... hence the unfinished bottom half of the door.

See that slightly darker swatch down the center? That's a bit of Benjamin Moore's Olive Tree. I really like that shade too. It's just a bit darker...maybe a little more palatable?

Tonight I'm just going to finish painting it City Chartreuse and then decide if it's just too much or not. If it is, I'm taking it back to Lowe's to see if they can deepen it a little more for me.

Weigh in if you have an opinion. I love opinions :)

Perfect Porches

2010-07-15T10:57:00.000-04:00

It's really, really HOT here in Cleveland right now and has been for weeks now. I mostly love the heat because we plunge into a deep freeze every winter. I say mostly because it can really sap your energy and just make you want to lie down and take a nice long nap on the porch.

Since I don't really have a porch (more like a mini landing pad that barely has room for the two urns filled with flowers I use to "decorate" it), I like to imagine some day being able to build a little version of one in the back of the house. Of course, I'm filled with brilliant ;-) ideas for my imaginary porch, but here are some real porches that make you want to grab a book, pour a glass of wine and relax...or you could just take a nap.

This last porch is really more of an outdoor room, a glorified screened porch that I could pretty much live in all year...if it wasn't freezing here during the winter.

If you have a porch, dress it up and enjoy it. You're truly blessed to be able to enjoy one of the greatest pleasures of the Summer.

Coastal Chic

2010-07-14T14:40:00.000-04:00

Makes me wish I living on the beach (of course, who doesn't wish they lived by the beach?):

Sometimes you have to settle for dreaming :)

The Pine Monster Gets A Distressing Makeover

2010-07-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

I mentioned a while ago that I really wanted to do something about the monster that lives in the corner of my living room...

It's useful for hiding the TV (no sleek sexy flat screen for me) that is quite fat and extraordinarily heavy. Still, even if I did have a lovely new TV, I would want to hide it. TVs aren't pretty to me and I don't like looking at them unless they're turned on. But I digress.

Last week I took on the 80s pine monster and now she looks like this...

Two coats of paint, some sanding to achieve a distressed look and toner, along with one final "wash" with a mix that was three parts water and one part latex paint and I'm back in love with my armoire. I no longer see her as the big ugly monster hogging the corner of the living room :-).

I even like the top of the piece that I had grown to hate for it's fancy scroll work that just screamed 80s at me.

As you can see, I did put new hardware on the doors, but I don't love it. It looked great immediately after the painting, but once I started using the toner and darkening the piece more, the white knobs were just too...well, white. I'll keep them until I find something else for a price I'm willing to pay (if cost were no object, I'd head over to Anthropologie and pick up some but, that's not in the budget).

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find something else to paint :-).

Bedrooms That Make You Go Hmmmm....

2010-07-07T14:02:00.000-04:00

Less of me talking, more of some interesting bedrooms...

Love the giant "lace" as headboard...

Love the headboard and pillows (below).

It's just too hot to think right now. Maybe a nap :-)

Bedroom Tour in Essex

2010-06-30T17:06:00.000-04:00

I love home tours. I don't care where they are or what kind of houses are included, I just love the chance to peek inside someone else's house and see how they decorated.

One house type I typically don't like the decor of (when included in a home tour) is the Victorian. They are beautiful structures, but often the ones included on a home tour are decorated in a period accurate way and I'm just not a fan of the Victorian style decor. It just seems so heavy and dark and overwhelming. And you would pretty much have to spend a fortune on a cleaning service willing to move and dust beneath all those tchotchkes.

Still, every once in a while you find one you love and here are two bedrooms I found in a restored Victorian in Essex England.

Love the floors, chandelier, turquoise and gold touches. I even like the fancy window treatment that's usually not my thing. And the very modern chair is perfect.

Does this distressed leather gem not look like the most comfortable chair ever? Although it might be a serious challenge getting back out of it once you're that close to the ground.

Here's the other bedroom in the same house. I love the very modern lighting choice above the bed that keeps the whole look from being too formal and perfect. That rug is amazing.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Guest Bedroom / Home Office ReDesign

2010-06-28T15:09:00.001-04:00

On Friday of last week, I did a redesign for a client who wanted to turn a room she called "a dumping ground" into a guest bedroom that could also serve as a mini home office for her.

She needed it done quickly because her older son, who is getting ready to leave for medical school, had invited his girlfriend to stay with his family over the long holiday weekend. The homeowner wanted the room ready for her to use when she arrives on July 1st.

BEFORE: This is the view across the room from the doorway. The black hutch wasn't going anywhere as it weighs a ton and this is the only place she has for it. She bought it to house her very large glass and ceramic collection.

The TV had to stay where it was. The man of the house has plans to mount it on the wall to free up some floor space, but for the time being my redesign had to include leaving it where it is.

We also had to incorporate the chair and a half sleeper, desk and chair and some pictures and artwork into the room.

Everything is just crammed into the hutch for storage with no real attempt to display or arrange for viewing.

These are some of the items the homeowner wanted me to work into the redesign. The clock was a gift from her sister-in-law, the large antique gold mirror belonged to her mother and behind the mirror is a black wood table with drawers to store small items. One top of the small table is a piece of pottery she really liked and wanted in the room.

That doorway leads to a half bath with no other access from anywhere else in the house. You couldn't pick a better spot for either a guest room or a home office than one with its own bathroom.

This is the view from the corner where the TV is to the doorway into the room. Right outside the room is another bathroom! The room is accessible from the kitchen and just past that bathroom door is the door coming in from the garage.

AFTER: Here is the corner outside of the bathroom where we created a little space for the homeowner to use her laptop as well as a spot for her guest to do her makeup (I placed an 8 x 10 mirror on a plate stand next to the lamp).

The tall buffet lamp was swiped from a bathroom (the husband seemed happy to see it go :)).

The watercolor painting above the desk was done by the homeowner's mother and depicts a house that sits on the campus of Western Reserve Academy where her sons were educated. The house in the painting is beautiful and the oldest in Summit county (built in 1806). She also gave me a black and white photo of the house to include in the room.

Here is the chair and a half that turns into a pull out sleeper for guests. We hung the antique mirror over the chair so that guests have a place to check their look before walking into the mail house.

Because the chair was very low profile, we had to hang the mirror a little higher than preferred so that taller women and male guests could use it also without anyone's head getting cut off in the view. Normally, anything hung above a chair, sofa, table, etc. should stay within 6" to 8" above the piece.

We reworked the hutch to create a more balanced and attractive arrangement and incorporate the reds and greens in the rest of the room into the hutch. Of course, the homeowner then had to find a home for all of the rejected pieces (I suggested a BIG garage sale).

In the end the homeowner was thrilled with the new space and happy to have it off her to do list before her ~~future daughter in law~~ guest arrives.

I sent her a follow up email with suggestions on a window treatment (roman shades - either bamboo or simple red cloth) hung high above the window frame to draw the eye up and balance the height of the hutch.

I also suggested a tall floor vase like the one below to place in the corner on the other side of the hutch to balance the heaviness of the TV in one corner and the hutch in the middle. That small black table didn't work there because the closet door (that is used frequently) kept hitting it when we opened it.

I also sent her some rug and other decorative ideas to help give the room a little more polish.

Although I love helping homeowners design rooms from the ground up, redesigns are my favorite.

With a redesign, it's not about my taste or what I like so I have no worries about whether or not the items I'm selecting are going to be well received by the client. They already own everything I'm using so I know it's their taste. Sure we add things when requested, but at that point, we've pretty well figured out their style and adding decorative items they'll like is pretty easy.

Thanks to the homeowner for allowing me to use the pictures.

Happy Monday!

More Beautiful Living Rooms

2010-06-24T17:15:00.000-04:00

Whenever I read design magazines or websites, I am drawn to certain rooms in the house over and over. When I was looking to remodel my kitchen, I obsessed over kitchen design until the kitchen was completely remodeled and had morphed into my dream vision. Once the kitchen was (my idea of) perfect, I lost nearly all interest in kitchen design. With the exception of tweaking the colors and decorative elements every few years, I'm good to go with the kitchen.

One of my favorite rooms to peruse is the living room. Because my house is tiny, there is no family or great room. There is just the living room to...well, live in. I love my living room, but I love to tweak the design and accessories and to just obsess over everyone else's too.

Here are a few I came across today that I thought were pretty sweet...

I love the pink and green. You almost have to be single to pull this off as I don't think most men would be loving the girlie vibe, but it is sweet.

More pink and brow that is still very feminine, but not too much so. It's super sophisticated.

I'm not a huge fan of blue, but this mirror is amazing.

I love the cool feeling you get from the soft green walls, white sofa, chrome and lucite coffee table and mirrors.

Saving the best for last, I love everything about this soft tan and yellow room. The unexpected lantern hanging next to the sofa, the gorgeous brocade on the sofa, the bird prints...perfection. Definitely not casual enough for my lifestyle, but if your living room is just for entertaining, this would be heaven.

I have a redesign tomorrow. If it's okay with the homeowner, I'll share the pics.

I'm A Really Bad Blogger...

2010-06-22T16:47:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am a very bad blogger. I can't believe it's been a week since I blogged. Work has been very busy (yay!!!) and the whole making money thing really gets in the way of living sometimes you know?

So one of my new clients is a lovely single girl who wants a shiny new bedroom to go with the rest of her lovely home. Hopefully she won't mind me sharing the experience with you. Right now I'm busy finalizing the color palette and researching the individual pieces she wants incorporated.

The only thing she had chosen before our first meeting was this bed from Restoration Hardware. Yesterday we settled on the vintage velvet in white for the upholstery. Beautiful isn't it? It seems almost 40s glam to me.

Stay tuned for more ;).

Pretty As Peacock Blue

2010-06-16T14:54:00.000-04:00

I don't know why, but I've become a little obsessed with peacock blue lately. It's such a rich, beautiful color and it goes so well with...well, just about any other color I can think of.

Peacock blue walls look especially gorgeous when contrasted with crisp white wood trim or fabric.

While not a fan of wallpaper (too hard to get it on, too hard to get it off), I do love this look.

A wall of peacock blue too much for you? How about a few sweet little throw pillows to punch up your decor?

A cozy throw for cuddling on cold nights...

Maybe a lamp like this Robert Allen gourd style...

I'm very seriously pondering how I can squeeze this color into my guest room that I'm so desperate to makeover.

Where would you use it?

Salvaged Treasures: Decorating with Flea Market Finds

2010-06-10T13:26:00.000-04:00

Some beautiful images of salvaged treasures from Period Living:

Have any treasures you've salvaged from the junk pile and turned into an artful display?

Betty Lou Phillips: Bringing France to Her American Clients

2010-06-08T14:35:00.000-04:00

While googling something (I google so much I forget what I'm doing half the time), I came across the work of Betty Lou Phillips, an interior designer based in Texas and specializing in French design.

Betty has written many books and has an amazing portfolio. Here are some favorites of mine:

And quite possibly the sweetest little wine cellar I've ever seen:

Now I want to go redecorate. But first, I have to find a bank to rob cause there's just no way...

Suffolk Cottage Tour

2010-06-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

It's Friday, so let's take a quick trip to Suffolk, England for a house tour. This sweet little rustic cottage was built in 1780 (and I thought my little lady was old at just 70 :)).

Probably the only room I don't really love is the living room - just a little too rustic for me, but certainly fits the house.

The kitchen is charming. Check out the arch design cut into the bottom cabinets - you can see it clearly in the cabinet next to the stove. Love that light fixture too.

Nothing but love for the dining room with its natural linen slip covered chairs, simple linen window treatment and dark woods.

The bathroom is perfect...love the shower curtain, the mirror, the little medicine cabinet and basket. Anyone know what that little thing hanging from the shower curtain is?

The master bedroom is pure serenity. Interesting how the sloped ceilings force the windows to just over a foot above the bed.

And the children's room.

I saved the best for last, the conservatory...

Can you just imagine having your morning tea here? And then a glass of wine at the end of the day? Love, love, love this space. Notice the arch design in the window again? It looks like there might be a little daybed to the left and check out the design bordering the floor.

Hope your weekend includes a sweet spot to kick back and relax :)

A Home Office Goes Horizontal

2010-06-03T14:34:00.000-04:00

I love a good home office makeover and this is my new favorite (for 5 minutes until another one catches my eye - I'm fickle that way).

Stephen Saint-Onge, who does those monthly makeovers of rooms for Better Homes & Gardens did this one for a reader recently.

I won't bore you with the before photos. Just picture a plain room with crap scattered here and there. We all have a space like that somewhere no? Well, maybe it's just me. Moving on, this is the finished room with...horizontal stripes. Aren't they beautiful? Loving how the crisp white wood stands out against the stripes.

I had actually though of doing horizontal stripes in my home office until I found out what hell they are to execute after doing them in my dining room. BTW, they referred to this as an "easy stripe treatment". I'm guessing the author of the article has never actually tried to paint horizontal stripes in a 70 year old house.

This is my favorite part of the new room:

I'm not sure how much work actually gets done when you have a chaise in your office, but it sure looks good doesn't it?

I thought this was just decorative, but the article said the drawers were used as storage. Not really practical given it's location in the room so more than likely she won't use it for storage of anything she needs quick and easy access to.

Love the little table cause it's green and I pretty much love any furniture painted green. The lamp was a spray paint project that started out black. Love :)

He also turned this empty closet...

Into this...

Honestly, as cute as this little work station is, I would think outfitting it with shelves for storage would have been a better use of the space. I have two closets in my home office and I use every spare inch of space in them. But hey, BHG hasn't hired me to makeover anything so I'll just shut up now and go away quietly.

Happy Thursday :)

Living Room Paint Job

2010-06-02T15:17:00.000-04:00

Post painting, I took a few quick shots of the living room, but only one really comes close to showing the difference in color. I guess because my before color was a softer yellow, the new ivory shade doesn't read as all that dramatic a change in pictures. I do love it though. And I realize now that I could have gone even lighter and still been happy, but this was a solid choice.

The BEFORE...

and the AFTER....

As you can see, I haven't done the switch to warm weather decorating (pulling up rugs, "warm" pillows and throws, etc. Not sure it'll happen this year ... too much going on.

Still on my to do list for this room:
1. Paint the armoire
2. New pillow to replace the one with fraying fringe (possibly several new pillows)
3. Re-do mantle ( have some fun things in mind using my new thrift store purchases...stay tuned)
4. Bamboo (I would take matchstick too) shades to replace the linen sheers. I haven't been able to find the size I need via my favorite source (overstock.com), but I'll keep looking.

Small changes = a little more bliss.

What Color is Your Armoire?

2010-05-28T16:39:00.000-04:00

I have been trying to decide what I want to do with this big pine monster remnant from the 80s ever since I made over this other pine 80s leftover.

While I love my newly made over curio cabinet, It's leaving me verklemt about what to do with the armoire. Should I paint the armoire black as well? After some thought, I'm leaning away from that as I fear it will loom even larger from its corner in the now mostly neutral room. So what do you think about white...really more of an ivory?

This French antique with a distressed finish is beautiful and I've often wished I could cut out the wood inside the "frames" on mine. They seem less imposing with the cut outs.

I've also thought about painting it green (one of my fave colors) and I love the soft shade of this one and the delicate white pattern in the framed inserts.

And here's a black, lightly distressed, armoire I found on Beneath My Heart:

I guess I'll stew on it over the long (blissfully HOT) holiday weekend. If you have an opinion though, do share.

Happy Memorial Day weekend to all...most especially our wonderful soldiers, past and present.

Calling All Cafe Curtains!

2010-05-25T12:25:00.000-04:00

As I wrap up the living room, stairs, hallway paint project from hell, my thoughts have turned to the kitchen. It's next up on the list. Just the walls and the ceiling.

And I am desperate to put a window treatment on the side window as it looks directly at the neighbors house and I feel very exposed when nothing is on the window. Currently I have that privacy film that is so ugly but very effective at preserving some privacy.

So I have decided I'm going to do a cafe curtain in some fun pattern and color. I want to maintain the light, but figure I'll have to line them since I hate the way curtains look without lining when the sun shines through them. They seem...skimpy...neked almost.

The way I figure it, these are my options in style and for mounting.

Starting with the mount outside the window frame. When I remodeled my kitchen (maybe 7 years ago?), I had the two very beat up windows replaced and the contractor stained the frames to match my beautiful new maple cabinets. I really don't want to put holes in the frames so I really like this option.

Ignore the mounting on this one as I picked it for the style. What do you think of the grommet style cafe curtain? I was thinking of hanging as shown above using the ring clips I have everywhere else in the house (so easy to work with), but I do like the grommet style.

I've seen this style before where a cafe curtain is combined with a glass shelf (featuring plants and clear glass vessels) to provide almost full coverage of the window. I like it, but it doesn't really fit the style of my current kitchen. BTW, I think a tension mount was used for the curtains.

This is my favorite by far. I think those are napkin rings fastened to the ribbon and I love how they contrast with the rubbed bronze rod. I really like the texture of the natural fabric too, though I still plan to go with a pattern. Although, I've been known to change my mind a few hundred times before a project is completed ;-)

What do you think?

Buffing the Living Room

2010-05-21T11:44:00.001-04:00

I have been knee deep in paint for a few nights now as the living room undergoes its new wall color.

When I asked for two gallons of satin Sherwin Williams Buff (I highly recommend Duration - it really covers well), the very nice girl helping me said, "You mean Believable Buff?" "No", I assured her confidently, "Just Buff". Hmmm. She had to go look up the number which had me suddenly questioning my decision. After all, Believable Buff is one of their best sellers and Buff doesn't even make their top 25 list.

Happily I stuck to my decision and am loving the color more each day. I was afraid it would wash the room out given my upholstered furniture is in the off white, beige family. But, it's actually a beautiful, soft, warm ivory.

Here is a corner where you can see the difference between the old (yellow) and new colors. I had started by painting a huge patch on one wall that gets direct sunlight and it looked so....well, white. But I reasoned, lets try it in a corner that gets almost no direct light (yes, I have these conversations with myself all the time - usually in my head, though not always).

So I painted this corner and then rehung the artwork to live with it again and just...you know...make sure.

Here's the arch going into the dining room that is fully painted with the new color. And yes, I even moved that ginormous armoire out of the way, squeezed behind it and painted and moved it back when I was done. It could go back a skosh more, but I will have to enlist man muscles to finish the job as mine have had quite enough of the whole experience.

I hope to get the living room done today and if I'm feeling really energetic, the walls going upstairs and the upstairs hallway (probably won't happen today though).

Painting my walls is a somewhat painful experience. The walls are rather elder (70 years) and plaster (read: very uneven) so you can't just sweep over them with a roller and git er done. No, I have to go over the area in question with a brush first, then later with the roller or sometimes no roller at all ... just two layers with the brush. Needless to say, it is a labor intensive process and often takes a bit longer than I'd like.

Wish me luck and have a beautiful DIY weekend :-)

White Out in the Living Room!

2010-05-17T15:33:00.000-04:00

The Sherwin Williams store by me had an unadvertised sale this past Saturday (40% off ALL PAINTS - even Duration - my personal favorite), so I bought a couple gallons of Buff - one of the neutrals I used on the horizontal stripes I did in my dining room. I painted a large patch on the wall Sunday to see how it translates in the living room and I'm just not sure.

As I've mentioned before, working with paint chips and fabrics all day has driven me to want to neutralize my house more. All that color can wear you out by the end of the day. My eyes just wanted to rest at night.

As I ponder my new paint choice, here are some pretty mostly white living rooms that I think got it right...

White can look very warm and cozy, it just has to be offset with the right mixture of other colors or neutrals and textures.

I have so much painting to do, but hey it keeps me off the streets and out of trouble right ;-).

This is "Couture Classic?"

2010-05-13T17:26:00.002-04:00

I get a magazine in the mail periodically (no puns were intended or harmed) called luxe interiors + design (a luxury lifestyle magazine). It is large and glossy and sells for $9.95 if you are inclined to buy it on the new stand. I pay nothing for it. The company I bought a subscription to Everyday Rachel Ray from gave it to me free after they messed up and sent me ESPN (cause it's so similar to Everyday Rachel Ray?) for nearly a year by mistake. This was intended to appease me and it was free so who am I to turn it down?

Anyway, the interior designs in this magazine are rarely my taste. In the entire issue (I believe the one I just received is the fourth I've gotten so far), I can usually find no more than one page with an interior I find attractive. It's not as bad as Dwell magazine, but it's close (again, from my perspective). This particular issue actually had a number of beautiful photos but for some reason the ones I scanned won't upload. However, I was able to find a picture of the chair they highlighted on the net to share.

There you have it...or them...sold as a pair...cause one simply isn't enough is it?

I wish you could see it up close, not that it looks any better, but ...well, it looks kind of like someone took a black trash bag and affixed it to the chair frame with black duct tape. And they were in a huge hurry so they got some of the duct tape on the leg and the arm and...well you can see for yourself.

Clearly I'm not design savy or hip enough to appreciate it...for which I'm frankly quite grateful. Someone who is hip enough to appreciate it is the designer they asked to comment on it. Here is what she said regarding the chair above:

"The way this traditional, graceful chair is shrouded by a rough utilitarian material is completely delicious! I would use this in both a traditional interior space to make it less formal and serious, or in a modern space to create texture"

So she likes it...she really, really likes it.

BTW, the material it is shrouded in is not a trash bag and duct tape, but a 19th century Mennonite petticoat. I'll bet the Mennonites had no idea what they planned to do to those petticoats or they never would have given them up. No way. I hope they never find out.

Sorry I didn't share something prettier but, remember that tomorrow is another day :-)

Chalkboard Paint Creations

2010-05-12T14:52:00.001-04:00

Today I saw this sweet little vignette that included a handmade chalkboard that someone created with the always popular chalkboard paint.

I've been wanting to create one for my kitchen, but want an old antique looking frame and I want to pay...umm...nothing would be good, but I'll take close to nothing. Haven't found it yet, but it got me thinking about what DIYers out there are doing with this fun product. Here's just a small sample of what I found:

The one that started it all...

If I still had my ugly black hand me down fridge, I would definitely do this to it...

Love these walls painted in a kids half bath. If you can't read the writing to the left of the mirror, it says pee, poop, flush, wash hands, dry hands...never hurts to remind them ;-)

I love this chalkboard back splash idea, but I would probably frame it off rather than go all the way across the wall.

This is a really cute idea on display at an Anthropology store...

This could be a fun way to test your child's knowledge of geography...

I would think this is taking it a little too far, but I suppose this could work if you're tired of your husband not being able to find anything himself in the kitchen. Of course, if he needs this much assistance navigating the kitchen, his problems may be bigger than you're willing to admit.

Keeping track of what you planted this year.

You could even do this in an office to label supplies.

More ideas for kids rooms...

I've thought about doing this to the inside of my pantry closet door as a way to track what I need to pick up at the store.

Of course, it does come in colors, but I prefer the classic black - it has the most visual impact and is the easiest to read.

What have you painted with chalkboard paint?

More Vignettes

2010-05-11T13:08:00.000-04:00

A few more vignettes to share...

The first three I found on Style Court

I love the moody, blurry painting (or is it a sketch?) in this one...

From my favorite designer, Grant Gibson...

Mine :-)...

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day (assuming it isn't freezing cold and raining where you are, as it is here).

Vignettes Can Tell A Story...

2010-05-10T15:19:00.000-04:00

I love beautiful vignettes scattered around a home.

You certainly don't need to create one on every surface in your house, but vignettes allow you to make use of all those goodies you've collected or been gifted with over the years while creating interest for visitors to your home. They can be used to tell a story about you and your family and what you enjoy.

Here are just a few I thought were pretty...

I love the perfect modern simplicity of this black and white vignette.

This classic vignette is by one of my all time favorite designers, Grant Gibson.

Sorry, but I don't know where this one is from, but I love everything about it.

From Absolutely Beautiful Things...

From House Beautiful magazine...

Off to enjoy the sunshine...

Happy Mother's Day Mom

2010-05-09T10:42:00.007-04:00

In honor of Mother's Day, and particularly my Mom, here are a few of the things my Mom taught me (in no particular order):

1. Always check your rear view BEFORE leaving the house.
2. A hot cup of tea cures almost anything.
3. Sometimes it's okay to skip the veggies in favor of dessert.
4. Never exit the car without making sure you have your lips on.
5. Don't feel guilty for occasionally sleeping late - your mind and body must have needed it.
6. Clean up after yourself.
7. Turn to God.
8. Ageing is ALWAYS better than the alternative.
9. Sometimes it's better to just shut up and let them think they won.
10. You're wonderful no matter what anybody else says about you :-).

Thanks Mom for these and a million other life lessons that got me this far. You're the greatest.

xoxo,

Chris

So Worth the Time!

2010-05-07T15:09:00.000-04:00

I finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel last night as the curio cabinet makeover was completed.

This, like so many projects, turned out to be a bit more involved than anticipated. Why the drama? One word people, glass. Six panels of glass and a long mirror in the back of the curio meant all of the inside of the cabinet had to be painted too. Not sure why I failed to fully grasp that fact prior to beginning, but let's just chalk it up to a blond moment and move on. There was much switching back and forth with big, small, very small and tiny paint brushes to reach all the nooks, crannies and nether regions in this piece.

Overall, I'm very happy with the results. My hideous 80s cabinet looks almost hip (don't go making any nasty comments either - I said almost hip. I'm happy with it but not delusional).

With no further ado, here are some snaps of the after. If you want a quick reminder of the BEFORE photos, check out this post. If you want to try out the products yourself, scroll to the bottom for some tips.

I used a product called Caromal Colours Country Living for the makeover. It's a paint that's designed to give a piece of furniture a distressed look. It requires zero sanding or prep (beyond wiping down the piece to insure it's clean and dust free) before painting. You just paint it on and then sand only where you want a distressed look. You can make it very distressed or only lightly distressed. I went with very light distressing as I was trying to get away from the country look of the piece.

I gave the cabinet some new bling to go with its new look...

Now that that project is done, I plan to tackle this monster next...

Not sure what color it will be, but the pine has to go.

Quick tips I learned while working with this paint:

No drop cloth needed when painting - this stuff is so thick the paint brush stands up in the paint. You do need to lay down something down when you use the toner which is very drippy.
Definitely add a little water to the paint or you'll go through too much too quickly.
You don't need the gloves they give you when you paint, but you will definitely need them when applying the toner - had a tough time getting it off my hands.
They do give you a small paint brush with the kit, but would recommend you have some larger and smaller ones handy before you begin for larger or tight areas.
They recommend using a mish mash approach when applying the paint, but I used more of a traditional stroke when applying and achieved a smoother look than you see in the pictures on their website.

Good luck on your project!

Pretty Palmer Weiss

2010-04-30T13:31:00.000-04:00

As we head into the weekend, I'll leave you with some lovely rooms by San Francisco Interior Designer, Palmer Weiss.

A beautiful contemporary dining room.

A modern take on traditional, this one is so beautiful...

I love this citrus colored room...How could you help but be happy in this room?

I love her use of color and the contrasting trims on fabrics (window treatments, table covers, piping on chairs).

I especially love the hardware pulls on this chest of drawers...

Some more formal living rooms...

Gorgeous pink daybed in this teen room and check out the patent leather chair.

Love this daybed too. This would make little and big girls happy to nap in.

Happy, happy weekend. Relax and enjoy :-)

Curior Makeover Update

2010-04-28T15:19:00.000-04:00

The curio makeover is under way, but still much work before it's ready for prime time. After completing the first coat on Monday night, I noticed Tuesday morning that there was still a lot of the original finish showing through. I decided I need a second coat before I get into the sanding phase.

I also had the unfortunate realization that I would have to do the inside of the piece too because it's so visible with all the glass. Heavy sigh.... So wasn't on board for that. See what I mean? What made me think I could get away without painting the interior? Duh!

I did start on the inside and do a second coat on the outside last night. I am out for a while tonight, but am hoping to finish enough of it to be able to sand and apply toner (the final step) on Thursday so that it's complete by Friday.

Wish me luck!

Caromal Colours Curior Makeover

2010-04-26T11:11:00.001-04:00

I have long been fed up with my armoire and, to a lesser extent, my curio cabinet. They look oddly like a pair, although I purchased them several years apart from different manufacturers. They are the lovely scrolled pine pieces from the 80s.

Still, both serve an important function in my living room; the armoire hides the TV (don't believe I'll ever reach a point where a visible TV is okay with me) and the curio holds my bar ware and Waterford Lismore collection.

I wanted to replace the curio cabinet with a vintage bar cart, something like this brass one...

or this French number for just $1,020...

or maybe this gorgeous black Indochine bar...

or go contemporary with this shiny baby from Restoration Hardware.

Alas, there were two primary issues with this wish of mine...cost and space. The snug little space I wanted to put a bar cart it in was not large enough to accommodate virtually anything I liked and the couple I did like I wasn't willing to spend four figures on (um, not that I even had it to spend mind you).

So, a makeover of this piece was in order and after much studying the work of others and stewing over the issue, I hopped online and ordered this kit from Caromal Colours.

Here's your little peek at the before:

See what I mean by the 80s scrolled look?

And then there are the dreaded bun feet!!! Actually bun feet are fine if you have an updated version; these are not updated.

Here's a shot of the contents. I just don't have anywhere else in my house I can store these or, more accurately, enjoy them in easy reach.

Check back for the BIG REVEAL (insert big important music properly conveying the bigness of this reveal).

xo,

Christine

Making the WC Shine

2010-04-20T14:54:00.000-04:00

There aren't too many things, decoratively speaking, I adore quite as much as a crystal chandelier in the WC (that's a bathroom for the uninitiated, but WC sounds more civilized doesn't it?).

I also love claw foot tubs. I had one in my very first apartment and just thought if was fabulous. Replacing what I have now (boring old standard tub) just isn't feasible right now so, these are two more things I can only dream about...(not that there's anything wrong with just dreaming ;-)

This one isn't crystal, but still lovely.

Would you every hang a chandelier in your bathroom, assuming your ceilings are high enough?

Pink Underneath

2010-04-15T16:54:00.000-04:00

There are easily hundreds of little projects I want to tackle around my house, some necessities to keep it from falling down around me and others purely for my daily pleasure. One thing I've wanted to do (falls into purely for my pleasure category) for some time now is to fancy up my bedroom closets (there are two).

I would so love to pay to have a professional closet type person come in and install the fancy shelving, etc but it's just not economically feasible. Also, my closets are not walk ins so that makes it even less feasible.

One thing I can afford and would love to do though, is paint the insides of my closet pink. It's by far my favorite color and it makes me so happy. I would even do a lovely pink wallpaper, but trying to do that inside a relatively small closet would likely be a pain. It seems as though most of the pink closets I've seen on the web are for little girls, but come on...big girls like pink too. And it can be a very grown up color if you do it with enough sophistication.

Anyway, some lovely pink closets to enjoy and (for me to) envy....

Speaking of little girls, this one actually belongs to Miley Cyrus, but I would love, love, love it for myself (though it looks like it may be as big as my whole bedroom). I think she may have more money than me. What do you think?

Christina Aguilera is definitely a big girl and has a very sexy big girl closet to prove it (check out her little man. He almost gets lost in that room).

How can you not love the beautiful foil and pink wallpaper and crystal chandelier? This is pink done with true style and sophistication.

Another big girl closet; this one belongs to Christina Ricci. It kind of looks like a boutique display doesn't it? Not lovin the peach sofa with the fushia shelves, but if forced, I could like with it ;-).

A more humble, but very lovely closet it pink...

I'm going to go prioritize my projects now. Have a lovely night.

xoxo,

A Sweet Little Space in Short North

2010-04-14T17:45:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you're familiar with Apartment Therapy. Even though the majority of the homes don't reflect my taste, I enjoy the home tours.

Apartment Therapy specializes in small, quirky spaces. I'm drawn to seeing what people do with small spaces because I live in a small space. I don't know that I would describe my style as quirky and I rarely look at the decorating in these spaces with an idea toward picking up tips on decor, but they are fun to view.

But one recent tour just enchanted me like no other on that site. It was a tour of Suzy West' studio condo in Columbus' Short North neighborhood. I love the entire Short North area so, no doubt, that's part of the appeal. But truly, this is just a great little space that's so full of personality and unique feminine pieces and I love everything about it. So, whether you like it or not, here it is. Hopefully you enjoy it too.

I will say the only thing I don't like in the room is the coffee table. The whole tree trunk as table doesn't work for me. I would have preferred something gold leafed and delicate (I have my nerve virtually redecorating for people).

I especially love the bedroom and the sign hanging above the bed. She has a screen that pulls down at night to give her privacy when going to bed...so clever.

I want to sit on her little patio and have a glass of wine with friends and watch shoppers go by on a warm summer evening....

Hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I did. I'm off to enjoy the beautiful sun shine outside...

Shades of Blue...and Yellow

2010-04-12T18:27:00.000-04:00

Sorry, no time for a well thought out post today. I'm a bit consumed with a client's living room that I want to do in blue and yellow. Maybe soft blue and yellow, maybe bright blue and yellow...wish me luck.

Here are some blue and yellow living rooms for inspiration...

This one is a little too bright for my taste, but it sure is fun...

Mantle Linky Day at The Nester's

2010-04-08T06:42:00.001-04:00

I'm participating in The Nester's Mantle Link-up today.

Although I don't have the most interesting of mantle scapes, I do enjoy it. Dislike for dusting prevents me from going overboard on total number of objects (that would then require removing for the dreading dusting process), so I have to select and edit carefully.

The two bronze crosses and the little bronze thingy in between are fairly new to the mantle. I put one of the crosses on the mantle for Christmas and liked it so much, I decided to hunt down another one for a vignette. The little thingy I had somewhere else in the house. I like things in odd numbers so the little guy completed the look for me.

On the opposite end of the mantle, the candle lamp has been there forever because I just love how it sparkles when the candle inside is lit. David's head has been there off and on for a long time too just because I think he's very handsome.

The fresh flowers are not usually there, but when I saw them pop up in the backyard I couldn't wait to bring them inside to enjoy them before the temp dropped down again and frosted them.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see my mantle. I'm off to check out everyone's beautiful mantle scapes.

Downtown Chic Makes an Appearance on BRAVO

2010-04-05T17:35:00.000-04:00

At some point this past weekend, I caught a preview of the new BRAVO show, 9 By Design, that features Robert and Cortney Novogratz and their 6 children (she was pregnant in the preview so not sure if #9 in the family has made an appearance since the filming).

I first became aware of them when I picked up their book, Downtown Chic, in the clearance section at Home Goods.

He was a stockbroker and she was pursuing an acting career 15+ years ago when they met. They discovered, when looking for their home, that what they both really had a passion for was finding run down wrecks and bringing them back to life. Once the mission is accomplished, them sell them for a tidy profit.

Somewhere along the way, they found time to do some serious procreating. Here are a few of their gorgeous babes:

A few more of my favorite images from the book:

Their wedding invitation was painted by a close friend and artist, Pat Palomino:

Love this vanity...

The book is full of quirky images, some I love, some not so much. All of the kids pictures are adorable though.

I would show you more, but the book is too large to fit well on my scanner and that makes it difficult to capture the images clearly.

As for whether I'll tune in to the show...no idea. My self enforced hibernation period is ending now that it's SPRING. I don't watch so much of the beloved TV once the weather turns.

If you tune in, let me know what you think.

Color Coordinated Bookshelves for Crazies

2010-03-29T19:02:00.001-04:00

What do you think of the idea of color coordinating the books in your bookshelf to your decor? I don't know why, but this really bugs me. Well, let me take a step back and admit I'm not above using the books I already own to improve a bookshelf as I did here in my living room....

and here in my dining room...

But, it's not crazy person coordinated right? Please say yes. Please.

Okay, let me show you crazy person coordinated so that you'll have a point of reference:

Actually these are not so much coordinating with the room as they are the focal point of the room, but you get the picture.

And then there is my biggest book arranging pet peeve. Placing the books in the shelf backwards so that only the paper shows. Clearly these are people who never plan to look at those books again. This sort of extreme impracticality makes me nuts. Nuts I tell you.

I just don't get it. What is this supposed to be? What's the point? Is it intended as art? If you know, please tell me.

I'm okay with a teeny weeny bit of suffering for great results - kind of like we suffer in those fabulous green patent leather stilettos because they make our legs and butt look amazing and this party will probably only last a few hours anyway, but this sort of display leaves me confused and annoyed.

Well, that's my design rant. Feel free to add yours.

Seriously, this is spring?

2010-03-26T16:42:00.001-04:00

It snowed in Cleveland yesterday. That's right, a week ago spring officially arrived everywhere else, but here it snowed. We went from sunshine and mid 60s to snow and low 30s in the span of a week. Welcome to life in the Midwest.

My body is in desperate need of sun, warmth, the feel of thick grass under bare feet. But, as anyone who has spent any time in this part of the country knows full well, you are not safe from snow, cold and frost until well into April...if then.

So all I can do is fantasize about what could be and hopefully, one day soon, will be...

Enjoy your weekend whatever the weather brings.

The Perfect Place for a Settee...The Dining Room, Of Course

2010-03-24T13:31:00.000-04:00

Ever since I first saw a photo of a beautiful curvy settee pulled up to a dining room table (years ago), I've lusted for that look in my own dining room.

Something like this....

or this....

or maybe this...

or even this....

I would put it right there under the round black mirror. What do you think?

Initially I thought Nate Burkus HSN Studio Sofa would fit the bill since it's the perfect size, comes in green velvet, has a great price and I love the look (not to mention the casters - love furniture on casters), but according to its description, it can only hold a maximum weight of 250 pounds.

So you're having a cocktail party and you spot two of your much beloved, but horizontally challenged buds heading for your beautiful little studio sofa. GASP! What do you do? Try to distract them until a skinnier friend plunks her tiny posterior down thereby saving your mini sofa from destruction? Put a sign on your sofa spelling out this dubious weight restriction? Hide the sofa in the basement until the party is over? None of these seem like acceptable options to me so I wrote off this one pretty quickly.

For now it shall remain just a nice little unfilled decorating dream. I've got a lot of those ;-)

A Very Stylish Small Space

2010-03-23T17:03:00.002-04:00

I have a love of small spaces. I honestly think most of us think we need more space, but in fact we really need less stuff.

Have you ever noticed that the bigger the purse you carry the more crap you put in it? When you're all dressed up for the evening, you usually select a small beautiful purse to carry and somehow you manage to pare down to what you absolutely need in order to have the priveledge of carrying a small beautiful bag right? So why don't we do that with our homes?

In any event, I have many examples in my style files of small spaces I find exquisitely beautiful and thought I would occasionally share one or two with you.

Often these small gorgeous spaces are in large cities where real estate is scarce and super expensive and people have learned to live with less. This particular example is the 250 square foot apartment owned by California designer Grant Gibson located in historic Nob Hill in San Francisco (from the November 2005 issue of Better Homes and Gardens).

In the past I've always shied away from white walls, but you can see why they were the perfect choice for this space. With all the colors from the dark woods, black accents, rich rug and gold and silver, white is the perfect backdrop to these well chosen possessions.

I love how he uses his collection of silver trophy cups for plant life. In the article, Grant comments that "When you live in a studio apartment, you can't simply display all your beautiful things. You decide which pieces really matter, whether for sentiment, function, or both."

I love how he painted the wood on that curvy chair. I have a similar upholstered off white chair with blonde wood that I've wanted to stain or paint dark for ages and revisiting this photo convinced me that I need to make the jump.

This photo (below) just gives a hint at his kitchen but it looks so cool - wish they had shown more.

Another great quote from Grant, "A huge focus in my design is to keep a timeless look, and part of that strategy, whether a space is big or small, is being selective. My favorite quote is one of Thomas Jefferson's. It says, "That which we surround ourselves with becomes the museum of our soul and the archives of our experiences. Hold onto the things that have stories. It's OK to mix styles and periods, because that mix allows for a beauty that can be appreciated for years to come." Well said :-)

Make the most of your space and go purge something you don't need. You may make some money from selling it or, at the very least, contribute to your tax deductions.

Dreaming of a Better Guest Room

2010-03-22T18:15:00.000-04:00

Now that I've more or less got the dining room and living room where I want them, I have my eye (well, technically both of my eyes) on my very boring guest room. It's not horrible or anything, just sort of drab. The bedding was custom made, but that was in 2001.

I do know that the bed is extremely comfortable because every single person who has ever slept in that room tells me how comfortable it was and how well they slept. I bought a very high quality mattress and added one of those toppers that's supposed to gauge your body temperature and adjust accordingly. Not sure of the science, but it seems to work. I also have several sets of high quality (always purchased on the cheap at TJ Maxx, Marshall's or Home Goods) super soft sheets for the guest room too.

Here it is in all it's hum drumness...

The furniture was actually purchased for my master bedroom in my second apartment. My first apartment in Pittsburgh was so small there was only room for a daybed. Eventually I moved on to higher quality furniture for my master bedroom and put the old stuff to use in the guest room.

That clutter under the little desk (that also serves as a bedside table) is a box of tissues and stacks of magazines for guests to read while waiting to drift off. I try to put everything in the room that I want when I stay in someone's guest room.

And yes, that mirror is hung way too high. I have never gotten around to repositioning it after deciding against some decorative items under it that would have made it a little less out of whack.

In addition to a matching bell jar lamp, the other bedside table has a water carafe, and two small candles.

The wicker basket next to the dresser is for a guests dirty clothes. Yes, I am willing to do a load of laundry or two - just enough to make them want to come back, but not enough for them to overstay.

The photos at either end are of my two nieces and my niece and nephew because family stays in the room more than anyone so it makes them and me happy.

Here are some guest rooms that have been inspiring me lately...

This one from Apartment Therapy is so striking. I can't think of any other word for it; I can't stop looking at it and keep discovering yet another thing I love in the room.

Even though this sunny yellow guest room from Better Homes and Gardens has coordinated bedding (something I'd like to get away from), I love the individual furniture pieces...the headboard...the chair...the desk.

This soothing blue-green guest room with black and white is so crisp and cool. And best of all, guests have their own bathroom. This is not a luxury my guests have - they have to share with me, but I always allow them to have the bathroom first.

I don't know the source of the guest room below, but love it. I love the painted white floors, the uncovered window, the crisp white linens.

And I've saved the best for last. Below is the guest room in designer Joni Webb's beautiful home. How does she get guests to leave? I mean, you would have to pack my bags for me and pull me kicking and screaming out the door cause I would not leave this room of my own accord.

So I continue to gather ideas, but it will probably be a while before I decide on a look or pull together a budget to get my guest room where I want it to be.

A Stylish Girl's First Nest

2010-03-19T17:18:00.001-04:00

Whenever the latest issue of one of my favorite design mags arrives, I make one last review of the previous issue to see if I want to tear any ideas out or just keep the issue for future reference. When I went through the March Traditional Home mag last night, I was drawn again to one feature.

There was a profile of a twenty something, freshly minted fashion writer's first apartment. Her mother is an interior designer so that certainly helps when you're trying to turn out a stylish first nest. Together the two produced an awesome little space for daughter Lauren's Rye NY apartment that is a perfect marriage of budget (she is, after all, entry level fresh out of college) and investment pieces.

Here is designer mom, Suzanne McGrath and her daughter, Lauren sitting on Lauren's investment piece, a Mitchell Gold love seat (definitely would not have been room for that in my first apartment budget) in a timeless ticking pattern. The fun yellow lamp was unearthed under a couple layers of dust at a flea market. The sweet little blue coffee tables were a consignment shop find. All other items in view were already owned by either Lauren or her mom.

Honestly, I loved everything about this space except the fact that the window treatment does not go all the way to the ground. I love the light airy fabric and the print, but I cannot stand panels that fail to reach the ground. To me it always looks like you're just making do instead of waiting until you could get what you want.

What I love though is the bench under the window where she stacks her books.

Lauren gave a fresh coat of white paint to a dresser from her great-grandparents and found new hardware in a sale basket at Anthropologie. The top three drawers store Lauren’s clothing, while lower drawers contain a mishmash of everything from large-scale kitchen platters to linens. All of us living in smaller spaces prefer items that do double duty.

The old cane-sided chair was a Craigslist find (she paid $25 for a pair). Originally painted pink, Lauren painted it black and upholstered it in inexpensive fabric, finishing it off with brown velvet trim.

The little dining area is mostly furnished with finds from her family and given a fresh coat of paint. The shelves on the wall are IKEA and are filled with inexpensive pieces, some of which Lauren spray painted to make them look like mercury glass.

Her bedside table is actually a desk her mom rescued from the street in NY 20 years ago. I love the spindle legs. The fake Murano mirror was slightly damaged so she was able to get it for a steal from Anthropologie and the other items from her dressing table are courtesy of a consignment shop. My favorite piece is the lucite stool.

Enjoy the weekend in your own nest. See you next week.

Stairway to Style

2010-03-18T13:34:00.002-04:00

When I bought my house, I decided to paint the back of the stairs along with all the rest of the trim in the house. Nothing crazy creative or complicated - just some green paint that felt like it took years to finish.

Here are some homeowners who went the extra mile to fabulous stairs...

These are a little easier to replicate, but still very pretty....

And don't forget that other decorating option, wallpaper is not just for walls....

Now that's dedication to great design!

Done in a Day Makeover - Stylish Storage on the Cheap

2010-03-16T15:17:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. The last week has gone by in a whirl with work, training (now certified in color consulting - yay!!) and painting my parents basement, I haven't had time to do anything much personal except shower and sleep.

If you've read this blog before, you know that a Done in a Day makeover project doesn't have to be big, just something sweet and simple that makes your life a little better and prettier. It can even be as simple as finally putting a switch plate on that bare socket in the room you painted years ago that you kept forgetting about (yes, Dad, I finally painted and placed one on the guest room light switch).

So a couple of weeks ago, I stopped at some of my favorite thrift haunts and picked up some super cheap (the 3 together were about $2 total) white glass thingies (okay, I have no idea what their original purpose was so do share if you have a clue) with the intention of putting them to use in my office to hold frequently used supplies. If something is going to sit out in the open versus hidden away in my closet, I want it to at least look pretty while its doing its thing.

A little ribbon later and they're a little prettier. I would have preferred a thicker ribbon but I already had this ribbon in my supply closet.

Another cheap storage method...

Take a handful of these....

And fill the bottom of a pretty glass vessel and stick eye make-up pencils...

or your make-up brushes in and have everything you need daily visible, pretty and ready for use.

Storage and organization doesn't have to be plain and ugly. If you have a stylish storage solution, please share.

So where do I put my booty?

2010-03-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

I was perusing the latest email from Houzz and was drawn to this photo:

The colors are very soothing and beautiful, but in spite of that I had one overwhelming thought when looking at this beautiful arrangement. Can you guess? Oh right, I gave it away with my title didn't I?

So, where exactly does one plunk their booty? If the hostess instructed me to sit and make myself comfortable I would be struck with sheer terror. How exactly do I make myself comfortable? Sit in one of those two little slivers not covered by pillows? Are you kidding me? My butt? I mean it's not ginormous or anything, but I couldn't even get one cheek in either of those slivers.

I have two 18" pillows on either side of my sofa and I frequently worry that that is two too many. Maybe just one at either end is fine? Still, I like all four pillows, so all four remain. But I make sure they are squished into the corners and the first thing I say to people after I tell them to sit and get comfy is to "just set the pillow(s) on the floor if they're in your way." And I MEAN it. I never want decorative pillows intimidating my guests into not getting comfortable in my home.

So while I have a deep and abiding love of beautiful pillows, I believe they have their place in the home; like in the bedroom where they're only going to annoy your man.

Here's to making room for all booties, small and large. Pillows in moderation only people.

xoxo

Catalogs Deliver Design Inspiration

2010-03-09T16:38:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I took a road trip with my parents to Cincinnati to visit my brother and his family and then I was busy getting the blog for my business set up with my web designer.

I know if you love design, you look forward to the arrival of certain catalogs in the mail as much as I do. Some of them (Ballard Designs chiefly) provide so much eye candy and design inspiration that they often trump even the best decorating magazines. One of my favorite catalogs is from a furniture company that I believe was founded here in Ohio, but now has locations in 12 other states, Arhaus Furniture.

I became a fan of Arhaus when I first moved to Cleveland (where the company is based) and would regularly visit their nearby stores for inspiration in decorating my apartment. If you think visiting Anthropology is inspirational, Arhaus in store decorating at the time would blow you away. They did things no one else was doing at that time and walking through the store was a guaranteed sensory overload. The store decor is still impressive, but today the focus is more on the furniture than in creating the WOW factor with amazing backdrops for the furniture.

Still, I look forward to their catalogs. Some of them are fairly straightforward and no different than other furniture catalogs, but every once in a while they really go the extra mile and set the stage in a way that truly inspires. The catalog I received in January is one I still pour over regularly and will probably be included in my favorite magazine collection as a keeper.

Following are some of my favorite pictures from the catalog. Sorry for having to cut pictures in half, but my scanner isn't large enough to capture the double page spreads.

The photo below is the right half of the room in the photo above:

There isn't a single thing in either photo I don't absolutely love. How often do you really feel that way? For me, it doesn't happen often.

The photo below shows the same bookcase, but the room and furniture has changed. I wish I could capture the two pages together because that trio of windows makes an incredible backdrop.

Arhaus furniture certainly isn't cheap, but the pieces I've purchased are still in amazing condition. My sofa and the two chairs in my living room are from Arhaus and I still love them as much as the day I bought them (over 10 years ago). And no, I was not paid for this post or in any way compensated. I just don't believe in keeping good things a secret ;-).

Lights Out in the Bedroom

2010-03-04T11:14:00.000-05:00

I'm loving darkly painted bedrooms right now.

I don't know that I would want my bedroom painted a dark color (my furniture is a dark wood already), but a guest room would be a perfect place to try it out. After all, it's not a room you typically use everyday and guests don't stay in it for longer than a few days at a time. Plus, it's just so cozy looking.

Here are some I love...

You might expect dark walls like these would result in a cave like or masculine look, but that's not the case. Possibly it's because they all contrasted the dark walls with crisp white bedding, but they look very cheery, sophisticated and feminine.

What do you think? Would you ever paint a bedroom in your house this dark?

Finishing That Wasted Space

2010-03-03T16:52:00.000-05:00

First, thanks to Ballard Designs Style Studio for posting a photo of my dining room makeover. It wasn't the best of the two I sent, but I'm sure they chose that one because you can see the table base a little better and it is their table after all.

On to today's subject: Finished Attics.

While it certainly isn't anything I can afford right now, I've always imagined some day finishing my attic. One thing that stopped me in the past is that while the entrance to my attic has a perfectly normal staircase, it can only be accessed through my bedroom. There is probably another way to open up access, but creating an opening versus using existing would no doubt greatly escalate the cost.

If I maintained just the entrance from my bedroom, that would rule out a guest room - unless I want guests traipsing through my bedroom (not so much). I have always admired what Martha Stewart did with her Bedford NY attic. It's kind of a craft room on steroids. Take a peek:

Of course, no matter what I would do with it, it would have to have a bathroom - even if very small.

A little sitting room to relax and watch TV or read would be nice too.

A gym? I would have no excuses to skip the workout so I would have to pass on this idea, but it is impressive.

A home office...

Or just stick with the obvious...a bedroom.

I'm going to go buy a Mega Millions ticket so I can finance my big ideas.

“Have nothing in your house that is not useful or you believe to be beautiful.” William Morris, leader of the Craftsmen Movement. If you want a golden rule for what to purchase and what not to purchase, this is it. William Morris also said that the most important things in life are love and work and the true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in the details of daily life. I think he has a point or three.

Tuesday Tips - Wisdom For Everyday Life

One More DIY For My Dining Room

2010-03-02T10:40:00.003-05:00

After pulling together my new dining room, I left one wall sadly blank while I pondered what to adorn it with. Here is the lonely wall (below). You can see why it needs somthing right?

None of the art work I already owned really did the trick, so I decided on another mirror.

After a brief search at Home Goods (of course), I found what I was looking for in the form of this mirror (love the arch):

It was priced at $29.99, but the wood frame was badly scratched and even gouged in spots, so some haggling later, I got a $5 discount. Not what I was hoping for, but I really liked the mirror and knew the size was perfect for the wall in question.

BTW, objects in mirror are not nearly as fat as they appear - that was a bulky sweater - it's very cold in Cleveland right now. Just wanted to make that clear.

A major dose of sanding and three coats of the same glossy black paint I used on my other dining room mirror and the tray table and my new mirror was ready for its close up.

Here it is occupying the formerly lonely wall. My original plan was just to stain the mirror a dark brown as I feared it would look to "matchy" if I used the same glossy black paint on the tray and the mirror, but I do like the overall effect.

The one big disappointment was that after I cleaned up the mirror, I realized it was covered with fine scratches (visible in the photo below) that were not noticeable when I bought it because of the tape marks, dust and paw prints on it. Anyone know how to get rid of those scratches?

Still, in spite of its imperfections I'm quite pleased with my new mirror and at a recent get together with the girls (before I purchased and hung the mirror), I turned the tray table into a drinks station and it worked really well and kept the main table free for the food.

That's my DIY for the week - unless I get another burst of energy.
Wealth Consists Not of Having Great Possessions but Few Wants. Epicurus We Americans are drowning in stuff we don’t need. Buying things you don’t need takes up a lot of life energy that could be used to buy your freedom from debt, among other things. Next time you go shopping, ask yourself if what you are purchasing is a want or a need. If it’s a want, think twice about what it’s actually costing you.

From TUESDAY TIPS - WISDOM FOR EVERY DAY LIFE

Doing A Design Double Take

2010-02-25T15:30:00.003-05:00

I was perusing the online catalog Anthro emailed to me today and happened upon this mirror:

Anthropologie calls it the Weathered Curlicue Mirror and it includes this discription:

As if plucked from a 19th century farmhouse, this remilled pine mirror is full of rustic charm.

Remilled pine, glass
34"L, 27"W
Imported

An additional $30 will be added for shipping and handling. This item will ship via UPS Ground and is only available for delivery within the continental United States. Shipment to international locations, U.S. territories, AK, HI, P.O. boxes, APO/FPO addresses and express ship methods are unavailable for this item.

style #960030

$368.00

So, does it look familiar to you? If you're a design junkie like me, it probably does because it looks very much like a mirror that appeared in Restoration Hardware's catalog months ago. RH calls it the Mansard Scroll Mirror and here's a picture of it taken from their website:

This is the description for the Restoration Hardware Mirror:

Mansard Scroll Mirror

$295

Inspired by classic late 19th-century architectural windows collected in his world travels, designer David Thompson reproduces this mirror as a distinctive piece for the home.

Hand-carved from salvaged wood

Treated with customized stains and then hand-painted

Multi-step finishing process achieves a uniquely weathered, washed patina that makes each mirror truly one of a kind

Dimensions: 27"W x 2-3/4"D x 34"H

Catalog, Web and select stores

As you can see, the dimensions are the same for both versions. I notice a distinct difference in the little double scallop at the top of the Antho version. It appears the scallops are inverted on their version.

I know vendors copy each others merchandise all the time but it's odd that the copy is more expensive than the original design.

So you can have the original design from Restoration Hardware for $295 or you can purchase the imitation from Anthropologie for $73 more at $368. Hmmmm...it's a tough call ;-)

Hopefully the Restoration Hardware mirror's designer, David Thompson, is flattered by the ~~rip off~~ imitation of his design.

Kitchen Eye Candy

2010-02-22T13:32:00.002-05:00

Wow! That's the only thing that floated through my little head as I gazed at this kitchen. Just. Wow! I mean it is completely unlike any kitchen I've ever seen in my life.

The part of the kitchen that falls below chandelier level is relatively normal - crazy beautiful, but nothing we haven't seen before (click on photo to view larger picture). But, what's above that is truly amazing - to me anyway. It's part English manor library, part early American kitchen with all the pewter (at least many pieces appear to be pewter or maybe silver) dishes and serving pieces decoratively arranged on plain white shelves.

The owner of this beauty of a kitchen? Joan Rivers, people...Joan Rivers. Who would have guessed?

I love that they didn't move the blue towel with the dog dish out of the way for the picture. Even famous and fabulously wealthy people have dogs that make a mess when they eat and drink :-)

Just can't adequately express my amazement over this kitchen. So just wallow in the beauty of it and talk among yourselves.

A Room Makeover - Step-by-Step!

2010-02-19T18:13:00.003-05:00

I love a good room makeover so had to share this step by step transformation from Better Homes & Gardens.

Here's the BEFORE, not awful, but pretty dull and boring (hate the wall color):

And here is the AFTER! Funny, my brick orange dining room was unique for years and now

that I've changed it I'm seeing that color pop up all over. It is a beautiful warm color though...

Here's the step by step process used to transform this room from blah to beautiful:

After clearing all the furniture from the room (just like a redesign :)), they applied a modern damask patterned paper to one wall and painted the others the warm terra-cotta shown in the after photo.

Love the coral patterned fabric they put on the taupe patterned chairs. Not sure if that's a DIY job I would attempt, but if you're so inclined there are a lot of bloggers out there with tutorials.

A nice big zebra print rug delivers some drama...

Strict contemporary isn't really my thing...I don't care at all for the artwork, but I do like the other pieces they chose for the room.

For example, I like this round table - on casters no less! Tons of storage and ideal for a family or singles/couple.

This console was placed under the window and offers plenty more storage to tuck toys away when guests visit. I have those baskets in several rooms in my house - love them.

The equally boring and uninspiring dining room got a makeover too. The homeowners wanted to start entertaining and this space clearly isn't up to the job.

Here's the BEFORE:

And the AFTER:

The existing table and chairs (70s style garage sale finds) were sanded and given a fresh coat of white paint. Paint is a beautiful thing isn't it? If you hate it - paint it before you decide to throw it out and buy new. You may fall in love with that ugly table, chair, console once it's been given a fresh new color.

The seat cushions were recovered with new fabric that ties in the terra-cotta used in the living room. Recovering seat cushions is a super easy DIY job that the most inexperienced of us can handle.

Wallpaper is applied only to the bottom of the wall. As you may know by now, I'm not a fan of wallpaper but the pattern here is fairly simple and with just the bottom half of the wall covered, it's not too crazy making.

A chair rail is installed. This is also a fairly simple DIY project if you have a miter box, hand saw and staple gun (or adhesives).

Texture is added with woven roman shades. I would love to find something like this to put under the new silk drapes in my dining room. I like the idea of layering the way I have in some of the other rooms in my house.

This is a pretty modern piece and not really my tasted, but provides great storage and, as with the seat cushions, the orange ties it in with the living room.

I'm a sucker for open shelving. Love the idea of putting your useful pretties on display where you can enjoy them daily.

As you ease into your weekend, think about what you can makeover. It doesn't have to be this major to make a big difference. Pretty much anything can be painted and there's probably something in your house you would love a lot more in a different color.

I have to caulk the bathtub (yuk doesn't adequately express my feelings about this project, but cussing isn't an option). I also plan to paint the tiny landing off the garage and maybe (if I'm feeling particularly ambitious, the front door really needs a fresh coat of paint).

Happy Friday!

Cottage Style Revisited

2010-02-16T15:54:00.000-05:00

I used to subscribe to a design mag called Cottage Living until, like so many others, it went belly up (I think it was at the end of 2008).

The magazine brought a fresh perspective to what you think of as cottage decor. It isn't strictly a shabby chic look, but can be very fresh, modern or traditional. I really enjoyed seeing how each homeowner chose to define what cottage meant to them.

One thing that seemed consistent for the two years I subscribed though is that the magazine profiled houses that truly fit the cottage architectural style. I don't remember any colonials or ranch, etc. that were decorated in a cottage style. That was probably part of the appeal to me since most cottage style homes are small like mine.

Pouring over the rooms each month awakened a real appreciation in me for this very easy to live with style. It's perfect for all types of living situations from singles to families and can easily be adapted to most lifestyles. I guess it could be formal, but it was usually casual and curl up and read a book comfy.

The variety of styles that make up cottage style decor...

Cottage nearly always has some white slipcovered pieces.

Love this porch, probably because it looks warm and lovely on this little cottage porch and it's freezing in Cleveland and I'm watching the snow pile up again :(

Stay warm wherever you are.

My Dining Room Makeover Revealed

2010-02-15T12:58:00.005-05:00

I am finally able to reveal my dining room makeover!!

Before I show you my pictures, I know that I should have taken the time to set the table, light candles, buy flowers and put them in a lovely vase and all that good stuff. But, the guys from Arslanian Brothers just left after picking up the old rug to be cleaned and helping me lay out the new seagrass rug and I was just so excited to show you (all 6 of you...hi mom) my new dining room that I couldn't wait.

First, take a moment to review the BEFORE in this post for a proper perspective and then check out my fresh off the memory card reveal below...

This is the view from the living room. I would have liked to get new shades for the chandelier (these are a pale gold silk), but it seemed an unnecessary expense given these ones from Ballard Designs are only about a year old and aren't really way out of place. If I find 5 matching shades at a great price in one of my bargain hunts, I may pick them up, but these are fine for now.

I do love my fresh new Ballard Designs slipcovers with initial though. They were a great buy on sale and I love anything washable. I don't want people stressing about spills when they eat.

I decided to rework the shelves in the built in by removing all but a few books and placing some cream colored pieces from my existing stash on display.

Did you happen to notice that I've entered the 21st century by having a programmable thermostat installed to replace the big ole honkin thing left over from 1940? I'm so excited I can hardly stand it :).

I'm just thrilled with my new room and the toned down pallet is so soothing - exactly what I need right now. It's hard to gain perspective from pictures, but the room looks sooo much bigger now too.

Thanks so much for checking out my makeover.

Tray Table Makeover

2010-02-11T16:36:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts for the past few days. My mom had some surgery and I spent a couple days with my parents helping out. They have dial up so posting was not really an option without extreme frustration.

Now that I'm back home and have unburied my driveway and dusted off the laptop, I wanted to share my tray table makeover. You'll recall this post where I mentioned that I had decided to use some of the glossy black paint purchased for my mirror makeover on my old Pier One tray table.

Here is the made over version in my dining room:

The hardware change is my favorite part of the makeover. Here is the BEFORE:

The hardware I really lusted for was this drawer pull from Anthropologie, but at $24.00 each it wasn't an option.

So, one trip to Home Depot later, I bought these simple pulls for $4.00 each.

The AFTER:

My only caution with the glossy paint is that it picks up every flaw on the piece (as you can clearly see), but flaws don't bother me. As The Nester always says, It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

My Mirror Makeover

2010-02-08T16:44:00.003-05:00

A couple weeks ago I showed you the mirror I scored at Tuesday Morning for $25 for my dining room makeover. Three coats of glossy black paint later it's hanging on my newly striped dining room wall and I LOVE IT.

I will show you the completed Dining Room as soon as I get the seagrass rug down (it arrived today - but I need to buy a rug pad for it first) and then things will be complete. In the meantime, here is the mirror's before and after makeover.

The BEFORE...

And the AFTER...

Soooo happy with my mirror. Now go find yourself a bargain and feel the love :)

Bathed in Pink

2010-02-03T18:18:00.000-05:00

In honor of Valentine's Day (yeah, I know I'm way early), I wanted to share some truly beautiful pink themed rooms.

I am single but have always loved V day. I think because when I was a little girl (and pretty much through college), my Dad always bought my Mom and me a little something...some chocolates, a sweet card and a little bracelet or something fun to brighten my day. Because of that, I always viewed Valentine's Day as a celebration of all kinds of love - not just romantic love.

And, of course, any day that encourages the consumption of chocolate (heavy and delighted sigh...) and the wearing of pink (my favorite color) ranks high on my special occasion list.

Here are some yummy rooms from Country Living...

This room below just takes my breath away. The dark woods with the light walls, the soft pinks with the acid greens....

I'm afraid I don't know who to credit for the following pictures so if you have a clue, do tell so I can give proper acknowledgement.

Okay now I have a tiny bit of advice that may well change your life...or at least your bedroom. Swap out the lights in your bedside lamps with pink bulbs (pretty easy to find) and I guarantee you will absolutely love the way you look in your bedroom. It gives off a glow that makes everyone look a million times better. Try it and you'll never go back to plain old bulbs, I promise.

I Heart Sheila Bridges

2010-02-02T18:05:00.003-05:00

I really, really like Sheila Bridges style. Years ago, I saw a home that I believe was her own that she had purchased in Harlem and the decor was just so beautiful and fresh and modern but not that kind of modern (you know, the harsh, ugly and scary modern). Just so made me want to move in and take over the space.

So, every once in a while I like to do a little Sheila search to see what designs she has out there. Here are some particularly lovely ones I saw today on her site, though in truth I didn't love everything I saw. Still, you don't look at every picture of a room she has done and say, "Oh yeah, that's a Sheila Bridges design." I love that she clearly gets the client heavily involved or her designs would not be so dramatically unique in each home (I should not that some of these photos are of her own home).

Here's a little sampling of Sheila that I think is especially lovely...

Do you see what I mean about every room being so unique? I wish I could enlarge them more, but each is enlarged as much as possible before becoming a bit fuzzy and I hate fuzzy pictures (like the one I showed you yesterday) as they give me a headache.

I hope you enjoyed Sheila's designs as much as I do.

If You Don't Like It, Paint It!

2010-02-01T16:54:00.002-05:00

As I was putting yet another coat of glossy black paint on my thrifty mirror purchase over the weekend, I decided to give my little butler's tray table a makeover too.

I bought this simple little piece years ago at Pier One Imports and I have no idea what I paid for it. Many of the accent pieces in my house at that time were from Pier One because after buying the house, I had no money to furnish it. Funny how that works.

Please excuse the crappy photography.

Here is a close up of the hardware on the piece that I will replace as it's a bit too rustic to fit the dining room now.

The tray table needs one more coat of paint and then I can put the new hardware on it and show you the "after".

I would rather show you the "after" version of the mirror once it is hung and that's not happening until Friday. I have too much going on with work this week so it's going to have to wait.

Score! Persistence pays off.

2010-01-29T09:00:00.002-05:00

Ever since beginning my dining room makeover, I have been trolling the local thrift and resale stores, Home Goods, Tuesday Morning and even Target in search of the perfect mirror. Or more accurately, one I really like and can afford.

Yesterday I hit pay dirt. I spotted my mirror at Tuesday Morning.

Yes it's the wrong color and a little banged up, but people it was $24.99!

A little sanding, a ~~little~~ lot of paint and it will be good as new and perfect in it's new home.

I'm so excited. Stay tuned for the unveiling of the new and improved version.

Dreaming of City Life

2010-01-28T11:06:00.000-05:00

Have you ever fantasized about living in a cool hip townhouse in the city (New York of course)? Any big city really, but mostly NYC. Not the cramped 4 people living in a one room apartment type situation, but a really sweet flat in the coolest neighborhood?

Although I love my little abode in the burbs, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to live the NYC girl life with the heart of the city at my doorstep.

I especially love old townhouses as it's a charm that can't be duplicated with a house. Whenever I go on vacation, I love to find the old neighborhoods with the most town homes and just walk up and down the streets admiring them. Every one is so unique and beautiful.

I can't even remember how I found the site, but I occasionally go to a website that markets city properties and peruse the photos. This one is a gem inside, but lacks the charm you can usually expect with older town homes.

It's listed as a 3 unit town house with a total of 4,762 sq. ft. and it's occupants clearly have vastly different decorating styles.

The first unit...

The next unit is super sexy and colorful. This looks like the inside of I Dream of Jeannie's bottle, albeit a more neutral version than Jeannie had.

And then you step outside and find this little slice of heaven...

Can you say party? Oh the cocktail parties you could host here.....

I'm trying to decide who's been sleeping in this bed. There are definite masculine elements with the rug pattern (seems masculine to me anyway), leather cubes, leather chair and the flat screen TV hanging on the wall.

But, most men hate excessive pillows and this bed has five in various patterns and fabrics as well as a few on the upholstered piece on the right side of the room. The window treatments are soft and beautiful, but the brown fabric "framing" them seems like a more masculine touch (although I would take them in a heartbeat).

Maybe it's a couple? Well, I think it's a guy. What do you think?

Love the subway tiles in the bathroom and the clean crisp look of all white.

This unit is ultra feminine with a shabby chic style. I'm surprised there is no window treatment.

I love her kitchen with the open plate display rack and the frosted glass cabinets.

Since there are only three units, I'm assuming this is her bedroom, but it's definitely lacking in the charm of the other rooms. It looks like she started to cozy it up with the cute little green chairs, but that rug doesn't fit at all.

And it is possible to have all white bedding that isn't boring, but this would not be a good example.

Just a little tour of how the other half lives to make you appreciate your own cozy little home :).

Baby, it's cold outside!

2010-01-27T17:30:00.000-05:00

It is cold in Cleveland, Ohio right now. This kind of weather makes me want to hibernate. Just curl up in my favorite chair next to a roaring fire with a glass of wine and a stack of decorating magazines.

Regardless of what you think of the decor, these are some roaring fires I'd like to cozy up to right now...

Stay warm :)