Four Things Friday

September 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, everyone! This has seemed like an incredibly long week, so I’m super pumped about the weekend. My best friends and I are hosting a bridal shower for our good friend, Caroline. It’ll be outside on a patio, and I can’t wait to share photos and details with you next week! It’s been a long row planning it, but I think it’s going to turn out superbly.

What are your big plans for the weekend? Make sure to check out these things I’m loving from around the Web!

1. How genius are these thrift store plate mirrors? They look like they’d be so easy to do!

2. This is such an easy way to decorate the walls in your kitchen or dining room.

3. I want to frame a series of these Women’s Wear Daily sketches by famous designers. They’d be beautiful in a bedroom or bathroom.

4. I’m not one for camping, but I think this would be a fun place to spend the weekend. It’s glamorous and comfortable.

Photo from Pinterest

Filed Under: Decor, DIY, Do It Yourself, Four Things Friday Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’m Dreaming Of…

September 10, 2012 Leave a Comment

Revamping this amazing dresser! I found it at my local Humane Society Thrift Store for $175. Though I don’t think it’s a real campaign dresser, it has great potential to look exactly like one!

Faux Campaign Dresser

I would paint the yellow a gorgeous Kelly green (like this dresser here). I’d try to spray paint the hardware gold, but I’m not sure if it’s easily removable. I think this dresser would look great as a console table in a dining room with a pretty mirror above it and flanked by wall sconces. It could store a lot of dishes, tablecloths, and other entertaining necessities.

I’m dying for a project, so I might just buy this and redo it. What do y’all think?

Filed Under: Decor, DIY, Do It Yourself, Painting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How To Host a Tailgate Party at Your Home

September 5, 2012 Leave a Comment

As I write this, I’m softly singing, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” No, it’s not Christmas; it’s not Victoria’s Secret’s Semi-Annual Sale. It’s the start of college football season! Here in the South, football dictates our weekend schedules. Planning a party? Make sure it’s not at game time. If it is, make sure there are plenty of TVs available. Going on a diet? Forget about it. There’s no way one can turn down buffalo chicken dip at a tailgate party.

Photo from Hostess with the Mostess

Ahh, the tailgate party. These shindigs are often more fun than the actual game, especially if your beloved team is having a rough go of it that season. While these parties typically occur outside the stadium, it’s just as much fun to host a tailgate in your living room as you and other devoted fans congregate around the television set. It’s really important that your space is conducive to hosting a party, so you should make sure to do the following things:

1. Put away any glass or other fragile items that may get broken. If someone jumps up in excitement, you don’t want him to accidentally knock over grandma’s Venetian glass vase.

2. Provide plenty of comfortable seating. Get rid of any throw pillows or unnecessary “fluff” that only serves decorative purposes. People want to slouch down and kick their feet up while watching the game.

Photo from The Blender

3. Provide plenty of spaces for people to rest their drinks or plates when not in use. It’s so awkward balancing a plate or beer on your lap, not to mention dangerous if you spill! Occasional tables placed strategically by chairs and couches will do the job.

4. Make sure your furniture is arranged not only for prime viewing of the TV, but also for conversation and “flow.” When it’s half time, you might want to make your way out to the porch or head to the kitchen to refresh your beverage. You don’t want to have any furniture that would block your guests and make the room feel closed in.

Photo from Fresh Chick Designs

5. Forgo the typical tailgate décor (red solo cups, cheap paper plates, etc.) and use heavy plastic or ceramic plates in your team’s colors. Cloth napkins in your team’s colors can easily be made from a few yards of fabric and look much better than crumpled paper napkins. It’s also fall, so incorporate the season’s colors, textures, and décor into your overall party scheme. There’s no reason you can’t have an upscale tailgate party!

Lastly, have fun! Be the hostess with the mostess and cheer on your team! Check out this great post from Williams-Sonoma about what to prepare for your tailgate party!

Wishing all the best to every college football team (Go Gators!).

Filed Under: Decor, Parties!, Party Planning! Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Four Things Friday

August 31, 2012 Leave a Comment

Woohoo, it’s the weekend! And it’s the start of college football!!! I can’t wait to cheer on my beloved Gators this weekend as they play Bowling Green. What are your plans?

I’m loving these items from around the Web. Make sure to check them out!

1. What an awesome idea! This desk/dresser combination is so practical.

2. I love this grouping of small sunburst mirrors. So pretty!

3. I think this abstract painting could be easily replicated. The hot pink color is so spicy…I love it!

4. I want this green door. It would bring a smile to my face every time I came home.

Photo from Pink Wallpaper

Filed Under: Four Things Friday Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Making an All White Room “Pop”

August 30, 2012 Leave a Comment

I love all white rooms! They’re so calming because of their crisp, clean feel. If you have children or pets, they’re not particularly practical (unless you have slip covers you can pull off and throw into the wash), but they’re so beautiful.

Photo from 7294 Cottageway

Just because a room and its furniture is all white does not mean it has to feel boring and drab. Using different shades of white (go to your local paint store and see how many millions of shades of white there are…you’ll be amazed!) along with different textures can make an all white room interesting.

Photo from Ame Belioni

For example, a tufted white sofa atop a printed, cream colored dhurry rug adds visual interest and doesn’t make the place look like a white out occurred. Texture is key!

Another way to add color and interest to a monochromatic room is to have brightly-colored artwork or black and white photographs hung on your walls.

Photo from Visualize Us

Pops of color can be added through throw pillows as well as through objects on your coffee table. Stack brightly-colored coffee table books atop one another or add a bright yellow bowl.

Photo from Chic Beautiful Life

Filed Under: Color, Decor Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

H is for Hermes Orange

June 5, 2012 Leave a Comment

As a wannabe fashionista, I’ve always lusted after Hermes (pronounced ‘AIR-MEZZ’) scarves and bangles. They are known for their bright orange logo (and the amazing orange packaging that encapsulates their luxurious items). I don’t think they have a patent on the term “Hermes orange,” but that’s what I call this particular shade of orange (similar to “Tiffany blue”).

Hermes Orange Boxes. Photo from Stylebubble.

It would be amazing to use as a pop of color in a pillow on a white or cream-colored couch. It would also be fun to have a vase in this color to go on a bookshelf or bedside table. Whenever I see this color, I instantly smile. It’s so cheery and such a fun color with which to accent both your wardrobe and your home decor.

Photo from La Maison Fou

Photo from Pinterest

Filed Under: Decor Alphabet Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

A is for Art Deco

May 21, 2012 Leave a Comment

Art Deco is one of my favorite design styles. I’m a huge fan of the ‘20s and ‘30s (The clothes! The hair! The Speak Easies!), and this style is an eclectic mix of design characteristics. It’s a delightful combination of glamour, modernity, and elegance all rolled into one.

Claridges Hotel Lobby. Photo from London Hotel Insight.

In researching Art Deco style, I learned that the spire of the Chrysler Building in New York City is an example of Art Deco. Similarly, the brightly colored hotels on Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive in Miami evoke the playful style of Art Deco.

I’d love to purchase this mirrored sideboard would be an excellent way to “glam up” an entryway or dining room. It would reflect light so beautifully and really open up a room.

Photo from Art-Deco-Style.com

This print is amazing…I’d love to dress like these ladies. I think everyone during this time period always dressed like they were heading to a fun party.

Photo from Ruche

Filed Under: Decor Alphabet Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Look What I Found!

May 16, 2012 Leave a Comment

I’m helping a good friend of mine decorate her first home and I’m so excited! I’ve been looking around at various thrift stores and consignment shops to find some items for them, and I think I hit the jackpot at our local Salvation Army. I can’t believe these amazing pieces are so well-made yet so inexpensive!

TV Console for $99.00

Armoire for $88.00

I found these chairs at two separate stores and I’m thinking about buying both of them to use in my own house some day.

The high back chair with the seashell print would be so glamorous in the living room of a beach house (I have fantasies of having a second home on Cape Cod…a girl can dream).

Sea Shell Chair for $50.00

This chair is fabulous! I love its clean lines. I want to recover it with a pink ikat fabric like the one below.

Chair for $20.00

Pink Ikat Fabric. Photo from Spoonflower.

 

 

Filed Under: Decor, Places to Shop, Small Space Decorating Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Apartment Tour, Part One

May 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

Hi, y’all!

I promised you a tour of my apartment, so here it is! First, my living room. The space is somewhat small (it has cathedral ceilings, though, thus I’m okay with the smaller living area), so I had to be creative in my use of furniture.

The TV console was purchased at a local thrift store for $90.00. It originally had glass cabinet doors, but I removed those and had a glass shelf made to hold my picture frames. I left it its original color (off-white), but I think I might paint it a different color when I move next—maybe a robin’s egg blue or a Chinese lacquered red.

The mirror resting on top of the cabinet was bought at the Salvation Army thrift store for about $20.00. The best way to make a room look bigger is to reflect light, so I have mirrors everywhere in my apartment.

Living

Living Room

The armchair was found at an estate sale and purchased for about $12.00. The cane chair was free…I found it in my grandfather’s storage unit. I found this amazing blue fabric and had both chairs reupholstered. The reupholstering was pricey, but these pieces look amazing!

The sisal rug was purchased on Overstock.com for about $80.00…an amazing deal for a sisal rug! Shipping is only $2.95, no matter how many items you buy, so I’m now madly in love with Overstock.com. The three prints on the wall were in my grandmother’s home, and I love having them in my own apartment now.

I used an oversized ottoman as both a coffee table and a seating area because of the limited space in my apartment. The tray is the perfect place to set drinks or food and it allows me to show off part of my massive collection of coffee table books.

Coffee table ottoman

I wanted to show off my coffee table books around my living room, so I stacked them on both a small, mirrored glass table and behind my sofa to provide a place to put my bowl of potpurri. My obsession with coffee table books may be a bit extreme, but I love them! They’re such amazing conversation pieces and provide an awesome way to showcase your interests (you can tell I love home design and fashion just by looking at the titles of my books!)

Coffee Table Stack

Stack of Coffee Table Books behind Sofa

Since there’s limited space in my living room, I purchased a cafe table and recovered the cushions in a floral fabric to provide a small dining space. Whenever I have dinner, I just pull the table out from the wall and enjoy my meal!

Cafe table

Finally, my favorite part of my living room is my sofa. I found it at a consignment store for $300.00 and I plan to have it forever. The shape of it is so unique, and the color is so amazing! The lamps were purchased at an estate sale for $10.00 each and the sofa table (used instead of side tables to save space) was $60.00.

Sofa area

Filed Under: Apartment Makeover, Color, Decor, Decorating Deals, DIY, Furniture for Small Spaces, Room Tour, Small Space Decorating Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

An Interview with Victoria Smith of SF Girl By Bay

March 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

I’m so excited to share an email interview I conducted with one of my “blog crushes,” Victoria Smith of SFGirlByBay. I’ve long been a fan of her bohemian style and awesome interior design looks. I had the opportunity to meet her while at the Altitude Design Summit and it was such a thrill! Her outfit was, of course, effortlessly chic, and her advice to us neophyte bloggers was so helpful. Read on and learn from her!

Victoria of SFGirlByBay

1. What inspired you to start this blog?

Oh, I’m not exactly sure. I started in June 2006, as just a hobby at first – it was never meant to be my ‘job’, or I probably would have thought of a more appropriate name. I’ve always had a love of photography and interior design, as well as writing, and the blog seemed to encompass everything I was passionate about. I initially started the blog as a way to post photographs of my interiors in the hopes of being featured on one of Apartment Therapy’s home tours, and fortunately I was selected. Their blog post on my home tour directed traffic to my blog, and one thing lead to another. Over time, the blog grew a loyal readership and eventually became my full-time job.

2. What are some of your favorite projects you’ve done? Why?

I stripped and sanded down an old art deco buffet I found at a yard sale for $5. I refinished it and it’s beautiful. No one can believe it was only $5, so that makes me feel kind of proud.

3. What advice would you give to readers who want to redecorate their homes or start a project, but aren’t sure where to begin?

I think designing is an extension of your personality. It’s the place I know I feel most comfortable and feeds my creativity. I decorate using elements that really mean something to me, or make me feel happy when I see them. If you do that, you’ll build a room that you want to spend time in. I bought a white sofa with slipcovers, and it works as kind of a canvas to build around. I can change up the throws and pillows, and add vintage pieces to the room and create a whole new look — almost seasonal, as my moods change. So, I think if you follow your heart then you’ll represent yourself uniquely — since there’s only one you!

4. What are the five items/supplies every person should have in their home for any DIY project?

-Blue Masking tape

-An electric drill/screwdriver

-A level

-Exacto Blades & Knife

-Sewing Machine

-Electric Sander

5. Where do you get inspiration for your projects?

It might be easier to tell you what doesn’t inspire me. I’m a pretty visual person, so wherever I go it’s likely I’m taking photos either with my iPhone (I’m addicted to Instagram) or with my camera. The city of San Francisco is nonstop inspiring to me and everywhere I look there’s something beautiful and colorful. My friends are very creative and they inspire me endlessly. I love art and photography and books. Great stories and films inspire me. My very favorite film is Amelié – I’ve watched it probably 6-7 times. I love the story, but the set design is perfection.

I also love European design magazines, like Living Etc., Hus & Hem, Marie Claire Maison.

Two of my favorite blogs are Door Sixteen, written by Anna Dorfman – she designed my blog. Anna’s restoring a house in Newburgh, New York and it’s stunning. And I love Emma’s Blogg – an unending source of Scandinavian inspiration.

I find great inspiration from my friends on Twitter. They tweet, and I follow. The amount of creativity I find there is constant — from photography, to great interiors, to design, and fashion or even a great laugh. I’m pretty well addicted.

6. What do you think every home should have no matter the budget?

A comfy sofa, and a good mattress. Comfort is key.

7. Is there a design mantra you follow?

It’s kind of anti-mantra – No Rules!

8. If you are a novice DIY-er, what project would you suggest?

I think reupholstering a stool, or chair seat is fairly simple, if you’ve got a good staple gun.

9. What’s the number one way to make a room or piece of furniture look brand new or better?

Paint! I paint everything. And slipcovers are a great way to give new life to an old piece of upholstery.

10. How do you create luxe looks for less?

I really don’t do that many DIY projects, with the exception of painting, and sewing. I sew cushion covers using vintage fabrics I find at the flea market and that’s very inexpensive, but can give you a whole new look.

11. What is your favorite aspect of your blog?

I love the sense of community, and the creative friends that I’m surrounded by. It’s a constant source of inspiration, and a very supportive place to work and live.

Filed Under: Expert Interview Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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