Decisions...Decisions

Well today I'm working on my own home, and I'm struggling with which direction I want the tile pattern to go on my fireplace.  (I do so much better helping others making decisions than I do for myself & my home.  Any other designers out there have this problem?)

Tile Pattern

Anyway, the dilemma is, do I want the pattern to go vertically, or horizontally?  Originally I was thinking horizontally, but now I'm thinking I like it vertically.

Vertically or Horizontally?

I don't know.  What do you think? I have a limited quantity of these tiles, as I purchased them from the ReStore for about $1.25 each.  (I know right.  A 13" x 39" tile for $1.25 is unheard of.  Usually a tile like this would go for about $25 per sq. ft. and up. Per Square Foot.  Not a $1.25 per tile.  But those are the kind of deals I find.  It's what I do.) 

There should be just enough to cover the main parts of the fireplace, and I can't wait to put them up.  I just need to decide which direction to mount them.  I'll let you know when I figure it out. 

Have a great day.

Lively Walls

Well keeping up with my blog has been a challenge to say the least, especially now with people getting excited about spring.  (I know I'm one of them.) 

So today I thought I'd put a quick post together regarding a product I truly love.... Stencils.  This is a great product for those who are wallpaper-phobic (but like the look), or who's purse strings are maybe a little on the tight side.  They're affordable, and easy to use, and what an impact they make.  Here's one I just purchased yesterday from Craigslist that I absolutely love.

Ikat Stencil

The lady I purchased it from was so nice, and so excited about how it turned out that she took me into her home and showed me her beautiful closet where she used the stencil.

Ikat Stencil in Walk-in Closet

It turned out so beautiful, and I can't wait to use it myself.  And thank you to the lovely homeowner that I purchased the stencil from.  I will definitely post pictures, as soon as I can figure out which one of the rooms I want to do it in.  (I think I have a good idea which one.  Wink.)

Below are some great resources for finding the perfect stencil for your next project.  **Warning, they're addicting. 

• Olive Leaf Stencils (This is where the above Ikat Stencil came from)
• Cutting Edge Stencils (I have 2 from Cutting Edge that I got for Christmas.  (1) I want to put in my office, and the other that I'm thinking I might try the ceiling in my master bath.  But I'm just not sure how my shoulders and neck are going to feel about that one.)
• Royal Design Studio (Even though I don't have any stencils from RDS, I really like their selection.)

There are plenty more out there I'm sure, but these are some of my favorites.  Let me know what you think, and if you've tried any.

Have a great day. 

From Cookie Cutter To Wow

I have had the best time helping one of my clients change her cookie cutter condo, into a real wow factor that truly speaks to her.  She had some really great pieces to start with, we just added a few things to liven it up.  So lets take a look at the before.

She wasn't very happy with her coffee table that she's had forever, and we relocated the mirror to the dining room where it fit better. 

Then we looked through some photos of what she does like, and here's what I came up.

She absolutely loved it.  And other than personalizing some of her artwork (more on that next week), it turned out really good. 

And here's the after.  (Sorry for the dark picture, but we finished late at night because of her busy schedule.  So it was a night pic.)  I had a lot of fun, and she really loves her Not So Cookie Cutter Condo.  (Yeah!) 

Can't wait to share more next week.

Have a great day.

Making a Come Back

Who's making a come back you say????  Me.  I know it's been awhile since my last post (Nov. 22nd ~ embarrassing), but I'm back and looking forward to chatting with you all again.

Why was I gone for so long?

Well you see, it's like this...  Life, and my design business, really picked up.  (I mean REALLY picked up.)  It's been a little insane at times, like having 8 clients in the month of December.  That's right.  You heard me right, 8 Clients.  (**Please note: since I started my business in 2008, I haven't had even ONE client in the month of December.  Ever.)  So you can imagine my surprise, and being slightly overwhelmed (don't forget to add in the holidays), that keeping up with what's going on, on my blog, was a bit of a challenge.

Now things are starting to level out a bit more.  You know, with 5 clients.  Instead of 8.  (Ooh!  And did I mention, they are the best clients Ever!!!  Because they really are.  I'm very blessed.)

So anywho, this is me letting you know that I'm back.  I will be posting 2 days per week: Tuesdays & Thursdays.  I'll be starting off with sharing some of the projects that I've been doing, and sharing some exciting business news in the coming days about a new and unique service I will be adding this next month.  I'm so excited, I can't wait to share.  So stay tuned, and thanks for your patience.

 Have a great day.

Decorate for the Holidays - Stacy Watts

Hi everyone.  I know it's been awhile since I last did a post, and that's because business has really picked up.  I have no idea how other bloggers/business owners do it.  It's all I can do to keep up on my design projects.  Luckily today I have a guest post from Stacy Watts with some timely holiday tips.  Please read.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree

There will always be a place in the home for the Christmas tree covered in every bauble ever collected over the years, an array of colored lights, masses of “angel hair” and garlands galore.  I recognize the clay ornament hanging from my mum’s tree as the one I made in third grade.  But that isn’t my idea of a well decorated Christmas tree – at least not yet!

TREES

Christmas trees come in all shapes and sizes.   While the green tree is still the most popular choice, sometimes it doesn’t quite fit into a more contemporary room.  This is where a white or even a black Christmas tree can look amazing.

 Image

LIGHTS

I abide by the “less is more” philosophy when it comes to decoration.

 The lights go on first.  Check that they work before adding to your tree.  The idea is to highlight the shape of the tree, so place the lights on the edges of your tree and tuck under the branches. There is nothing worse than seeing a load of wire on a Christmas tree.  I quite like the clear lights rather than the colored variety on green trees.

Next stand back and switch the lights on.  Now is the time to adjust your lights if they don’t look quite right.  It is almost impossible to re position lights once all the other decorations go on. You will want to make sure the lights are evenly distributed on the tree.

Image

BAUBLES

Now the fun bit, hanging the baubles.

Green trees can carry almost any color of decoration.  Try to stick to one or two colors at most though. There are some excellent packs that contain a mix of matte and shiny baubles that co-ordinate really well.

Scale your baubles to the size of your tree.  A few big dramatic gold balls placed to highlight the shape of a green tree are better than a dozen small red ones dotted around.  Add your more personal and smaller baubles in-between.  Green trees can take all sorts of trimmings too. When positioning your garland try to allow it to follow the horizontal line of the branches.  This works much better than a haphazard thrown on look.

 Image

White trees are a stylish alternative in a more minimalist environment. White lights and black baubles look great, or stick with just colored lights.  Black trees really need good lighting to look effective.  As with the white tree, sometimes the addition of well placed lighting is enough.  With both these trees you may find you need a lot more lighting to create a spectacular tree.

Image

TO FINISH

Last of all is the finial / topper/ star ornament that is placed on the very top of the tree.   No classy Christmas tree would look the same without one.

About the Author: Stacy Watts has contributed this guest post. Stacy likes to do home decoration and styling particularly she loves to decorate for holidays. She is a big fan of modern designs and styling. You may visit her website.

 

 Thanks, Stacy for the great information to get everyone in the mood for the holidays.  Please be sure to visit her site.

Have a great day.

Open Bar

I love a good Happy Hour.  Whether it's at a good restaurant, or at someone's home.  Nothing is better than yummy food, good drinks, and wonderful conversations with friends.  (Maybe even making some new friends.)

Source: graphic-exchange.com via Pamela on Pinterest

Well today I thought I would focus on Happy Hour at home. Specifically at home bars.  Now you know me, I like to think outside the box, and today is no different.  I wanted to show you ways to create a great open bar, without taking up a lot of space.  Not everyone has the space to do a big bar in their homes, so here are some simple ideas to use in your home.

Source: mimosalaneblog.blogspot.com.es via Kristy on Pinterest

Like a tea cart.  Simple, mobile, and practical in any space.  You've got 3 tiers to hold a variety of needs.  Glasses, liquor, snacks, flowers, and lighting.  I love it.

Source: dustjacketattic.blogspot.com.au via Kristy on Pinterest

What about using a buffet?  It's an excellent space for storage of the items that you don't need to see.  (Extra glasses, utensils and linens.  Then the top can be used to hold the more decorative pieces and items that you need easy access to when entertaining.  Such as your beverages and hors d'oeurves.

Source: cozamia.com via Kristy on Pinterest

I like this one.  A re-purposed vintage steamer trunk.  It is so beautiful.

Source: debholien.blogspot.com via Kristy on Pinterest

Here's a different version of a re-purposed steamer trunk.  Genius.

Source: birchandbird.com via Kristy on Pinterest

Source: thesetingstaketime.com via Kristy on Pinterest

Like something a little more simple and compact?  These two are great.  (I'm kind of loving the wall mounted one.)

Source: lonnymag.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Using a sofa table/console in your dining is also a great idea.  It's visually lighter than a buffet, yet still providing the basic same functions.  (You can get really creative with storage on this piece.  Creating your own one of a kind look.)

Source: ballarddesigns.com via Kristy on Pinterest

Source: crateandbarrel.com via Meghan on Pinterest

Another fabulous idea is to turn a bookcase into a home bar.  (Granted that was one of Crate & Barrel's ideas for the leaning bookcase that they make.  Clever designers.)

Source: gallery.apartmenttherapy.com via Kristy on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Kristy on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Kristy on Pinterest

And lastly one my favorites is the re-purposing of an armoire in to a bar.  This a such a great way to transform something that a lot of people have and are no longer using for their TV's, because they're upgrading to flat screens.  So instead of throwing out the armoire, think about converting it into your own personalized at home bar.

Want some more creative ideas, check out my 'Cheers' board on Pinterest.

Have a great weekend.  The bar is open.  Cheers!

Flower Power

Last weekend my mother-in-law and I went to the Dahlia Show, and it was so amazing.  I love dahlia's, but I had no idea there were so many different types.  It was crazy.  Here are some of the ones I really liked.

While this is not all of them (since I took probably 50+ pictures, you get a good variety.  That and the darker flowers pictures didn't translate very well, so you don't see any of them.  Oh and it probably would have been smart of me to note some of the names of the different varieties, but I didn't.  Oops!)

Aren't they crazy insane?  From the color variation, the ombre effects, the texture, the movement, the simplicity/complexity.  It's all so wonderful.  I had a hard time just picking one.  (I still can't picked just one.)

So that inspired me to find creative ways to add flowers into one's home decor.  Be it any kind of flower, and here's what I came up with.

Source: dutchdzine.com via Gilbert on Pinterest

This table by John Vogel  and Justin Plunkett called the 'Love Me Love Me Not' table is so genius.  I love the design and versatility of this table.  (I want one of these so BAD!  Honestly, genius I say.)

Source: sawdustandembryos.com via Emily on Pinterest

How about the top of this dresser?  This was a diy project done by Beth over at Sawdust and Embryos that I'm totally blown away by.  It looks absolutely beautiful Beth.  You Rock!  (Be sure to go check out how she did this.  It's really cool.  She has before and afters, plus step by step instructions.)

Source: vcf.com via Colleen on Pinterest

Need a little bling in your life?  What about this wall flower?  It may be only 12", but it brings a big smile to my face to look at.

Source: bassettfurniture.com via Judy on Pinterest

The right decorative mirror can always bring texture and movement into a room.  Like this one from Bassett Furniture.  (Oooh...Pretty.)

Source: heals.co.uk via Julia on Pinterest

Want to keep your flower power down to a dull roar?  Try using a graphic, stylized pillow like this one.  It has a great pattern to it that can read like a simple geometric pattern, or something like a dahlia perhaps.  (Get it?  I had to bring back around some how.)

Anyway, enjoy your simple dose of flower power today.  I know I am.

Have a great day!