A thankful daydream

What an amazing week it has been! First I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to fill out my blog survey ( if you have not Click here to take survey) the feedback has been amazing. You have all been so thoughtful in your comments and have given me so many great ideas. So the week started with a little survey love and than came an exciting meeting with the folks at Grand and Chroma Lab. I will let you in on a little secret, we are planning a FANTASTIC event and I hope to work it so all those not in Boston can participate as well! The details are still hush hush but I promise to let you be the first to know when the time comes!


If I had my way we would have a CreateGirl reader retreat in a gorgeous place like this home in Spain. When I checked in over at Verdigris Vie I saw these photos and immediately the daydream began....all of us talking creativity and inspiration while being served an amazing dinner outside...heavenly, right?



Enjoy the weekend!

(images via Verdigris Vie and Belgian Pearls)

How To Thursday - Reupholster It!

This "How To Thursday" is how a little fabric and a reupholster can create magic. A client had 2 antique chairs, which for years sat mismatched next to her traditional antique sofa. When she contacted me she was ready to blend all three pieces to make a cohesive room. What we had to work with was the sofa upholstered in a warm floral pattern full of deep hues.




The tufted chair was beautiful, though the cats had torn apart the fabric and the seat was an old horse hair cushion which no one wanted to sit on. We found a small diamond print with strong color to accent the wood trim and requested a new firmer seat. I also asked to eliminate the nail heads and add a double welt, this created a more modern look for the chair. Now it is a comfortable and inviting reading chair!

Before...

After!!

The second chair sat for years with a muslin cover and did not have much of a personality. In order to accentuate the gorgeous lean lines of the chair we chose a stripe fabric. With this fabric my goal was to pull out the colors of the floral fabric while tying in the mango color of the diamond print.

Before...



After!!!


floral - mini print - stripe

There are a few things I took into consideration when choosing fabrics. The goal is to mix pattern and scale of the fabrics while keeping in style with what is currently in the room. The existing fabric was a wide spread floral with many colors. I chose the mango diamond fabric for the tufted chair because I knew anything with a stripe or plaid pattern would become distorted with the buttons. After pulling the mango out of the main floral fabric I knew my next selection needed to be one that pulled all the fabrics together which the stripe did perfectly. The stripe is a complimentary pattern to the floral and diamond prints, it also pulls together all the colors of the room. Both of these pieces now have a new life thanks to a bit of fabric and an expert upholsterer!

Have you reupholstered pieces? If you have questions on a fabric selection to coordinate with other pieces in your room feel free to send me an email, I am happy to help out!!

If you are in Boston ck out Freddy Farkel in Watertown they absolutely have the best reuph prices!

Happy on Sacramento Street!

Today I am guest blogging over at Sacramento Street . I was so excited when the fantastically creative Caitlin asked me to participate in her "10 Things That Make Me Happy" series. Let me tell you, when you are a visual girl like me with hundreds of products coming across her desk daily it is extremely difficult to narrow it down to just 10!! Please stop on over to Sacramento Street I promise you will fall in love with all of her topics, I am especially loving her wedding related posts, they are just dreamy!

Here are a few more items that make me happy when decorating a room:

an interesting accent rug which can easily be moved from room to room
small clocks are the perfect accent for any side table (both BR & LR)
a gorgeous chandelier with a bit of sparkle adds life to any room and even better under $300
classically designed accent chairs, the type that will be passed down through the generations

just a reminder please take a minute to share your opinion on the blog survey, I would so appreciate it! Click here to take survey

(Pillows and Throws Williams Sonoma Home Pottery Barn Barbara Barry)

A bit of construction....

There are all types of construction...small projects & big projects....tear down the entire house project & just revamp a bathroom project. Than there is the Blog Construction Project where you start the new year with a vision of what you want to accomplish and ask your lovely readers to take a few minutes to share their opinion and chime in on what they like and maybe don't like about their decor reads.

So would you please help make my construction project a little easier and take my quick survey?

Click here to take survey

I would be forever grateful and to say THANKS for taking the time to share your opinion there will be little surprise next Monday (2/1/10) in the form of a FANTASTIC giveaway.
Hint: you will be able to make this giveaway uniquely your own.....

Thanks for being the greatest readers a creative girl could ask for, I truly appreciate all of your support and comments! As always if you have your own "blog construction project" and need a little feedback please let me know
jul

Industrial + French = Style Love

Gorgeous, Edgy, Serene what other words are there to describe such a house? House Beautiful recently featured Amy Neunsinger's Laurel Canyon Home and its one of those houses where I can immediately see myself "at home". Maybe it is the spacious, sun filled rooms or the way the shabby white decor contrasts the hard lines of an exposed ceiling, regardless it is so inviting! She describes the house as Southern France meets industrial, have you ever heard of such a fantastic mix? Take the tour below, I bet you will fall in love too.....

while tearing down tiles in the former bathroom, a rustic concrete wall was exposed and is now the anchor to a lovely dining room!

to DIE for double patio doors - let the light in!

The contrast is extreme with sharp metal & nail head coffee tables, metal framed windows and the softness of a white sofas.

a sliding barn door paired with a metal track combine the rustic and industrial seamlessly

a mirror backed bookcase give the room depth in an unassuming way

Above is the fantastic office space Amy uses for her online invitation & greetings company, Cocodot. If you are a card and invitation lover like me you will want to ck out this site, it is a great way to personalize stationary in a "do it yourself" kind of way!

(images from House Beautiful)

Color Time - Violet Dusk

This year I am adding a new topic to our CreateGirl List called "Color Time". Often when I choose a color for a clients home, I will scour the internet for a room example with that color. I have learned it is so much easier to convey the appeal of a perfect tone if you can provide a visual. So as I come across colorful rooms I will post them with the hopes of inspiring you as well. After all the most affordable way to change a room is with paint!

Benjamin Moore Violet Dusk

Please feel free to start a comment conversation if you have used this color or find "Color Time" helpful! thanks!

(image from Country Living)
**Always remember to sample a color before painting, computer screens can vary in tone

Riding the T with Dejan

Friday I was invited to the opening night of a wonderful exhibit, "The Subway Series". If you know me, you know I absolutely love anything that tells a story or conveys a feeling without using one single word so this display was perfect in my eyes. In order to make a mundane daily commute interesting, Dejan Djordjevic uses his iphone to take photos of other commuters and than posts his pictures on his facebook page and website. Its an unabashed portrayal of Boston's T riders and their diversity. One could sit in this gallery for hours creating stories of what these people are contemplating and where they are going, just fabulous!








This was my first event at the Accidental Gallery, which is the perfect intimate space for a showing! Above is the lovely Jessica DeGuardiola the owner of 5sPR who planned the night. Thanks Jessica for a truly fantastic evening!

How To Thursday - Creative Organization Courtesy of Redbook

Have you ever arrived at the hairdressers or dentist a tad bit early, not because you are overly eager to sit in either chair but really want to read all the magazines piled up? Well recently that was me! I flipped through a Redbook and you know what? They had some really great organizing tips and a few that were creative. Now I don't know about you but if organization is creative project, than it just might be fun!

This is a fantastic welcome to any home and with all the storage possibilities one can almost be sure to stay on top of the clutter (yes I am convincing myself here...)! Below are the sources with a few of my own added in just to spice it up!


The traditional Lattice design is great but I also really like the above version of the Algerian.
Carrie Basket $39 perfect for magazines separated by catalogs, shelter and just for fun
3 seat storage bench $109, I chose a smaller bench perfect for my size apt.
Large Tribeca Storage Bins $11.99 these bins are a great price and I might just mix it up using the cocoa option

This could very well be my lifesaver! Lingerie Dividers from Organize $8 for 6. The perfect way to keep anything organized even if it is a draw full of crafting utensils!

What creative organization tips have you used in your own home?

(images from Redbook, Home Depot, Container Store)

Quick Share - Calling all umbrellas

Seriously awesome in orange. This is one fantastic umbrella stand! Yes you could use it to corral all the umbrellas you have yet to lose but my mind is already spinning with other ways to decorate with it! Maybe fill it with a bunch of rustic white twigs just to add a bit of unexpected contrast (if you add balls of newspaper in the bottom you can arrange the twigs to sit up straight). I would also just use it empty , in a vignette on a higher self at 21" it is the perfect way to add a bit of height and the orange is the perfect pop of color!


How would you use this bright, happy piece?

Run now to get your very own Jaye's Coptic Umbrella Stand at One Kings Lane as it is on sale for $59 from $112. If you need an invite to OKL just leave a comment and I will send you a link!

Creating a Scene!

A really interesting scenic fabric can act like a little story on a pillow! Cheesy? Yea I know, but I can't help it, I get excited by a unique one of a kind accent piece. The two fabrics below are perfect! Adding a bit of trim will act like beautiful binding to a sweet story. Perfect for a night at the "Opera" or a stroll through a "New York New York" neighborhood!.

Schumacher - Opera with Robert Allen Outlet -Bea Thistle Rope Trim






Schumacher - New York New York & House Fabric Solid Tassel Fringe Red

What are your thoughts on Scenic Fabric? Do you like it as much as I do or do you find it distracting?

How To Thursday - Shop your house

When you have a Snowed in Saturday like this......


......what else is there to do but organize and move around furniture in your house? Well that is exactly what I did this past weekend, it felt SO good to organize a few rooms! It's as if I am
starting the year off with a clean slate. After the purge was complete, I focused on a little redesign of my bedroom.

*First I decided where I wanted to move my bed and other pieces I knew I would keep in there than I decided what pieces I could swap out.

*Next I walked through the house looking at every piece of furniture with an "outside eye". It's great to scout for new pieces within your own house.

*I found a small wooden (no upholstery so items can sit easily) accent chair in the Living Room which I decided to use for a side table and moved a lamp from the office to the bedroom. I stacked 3 coffee table books on the seat just to give the lamp some height.

*Colorful fabric boxes that were in the closet were pulled out and added to the bookcase for a bit of brightness! I also moved all the books stacking horizontal and vertical to create some interest.

Its amazing what a few new pieces (those that don't cost anything) can do for a new outlook in the same room. Now I love the "newness" feel and it's the room I want to spend all my time in!
Below are a few bedside table examples. The key is to think outside the box, nothing should be permanent!

luggage propped up on wooden blocks with a tray on top

do you have a small chest of drawers in an entry way or even in the BR you could multiple use as storage and a bedside table?

this small table could have been taken from a living room or even another BR it is a sweet little piece that could be used in multiple rooms!

Have you "shopped" in your own house lately? Do you love the feel of a room when you move the furniture around to create a new space?

(images from Jace Interiors, House Beautiful and Better Homes and Garden)

Quick Share - the rotating bookcase

Check out this very cool Revolving Bookcase from Pottery Barn Teen! I would love to use it in a kitchen. You could store cookbooks, stack up colorful tablecloths & tea towels along with extra bowls (though I might turn it ever so slowly unless they are melamine bowls) or vases! It's a great use of space! My only wish is that it was available in a wood finish as well.

A Special Glass Love

What is there to say? At times I come across a photo (in this instance twice ) and it makes me gasp! My love of hand blown glass started the first time I went to Italy and toured the Murano glass factories in Venice. So when I stumbled upon the ridiculously talented Elizabeth Lyons, I fell in love with her glassware and had to share! It might not be a typical CreateGirl item but there needs to be those special pieces we dream about and eventually buy, keeping for a lifetime. This is definitely one of those pieces for me!

The jeweled toned big jars with their oversized stoppers scream in a delicate way for attention. With each jar created by Elizabeth herself, you know you are getting a one of a kind item.

The Square Vases will add an interesting dimension to any vignette. Imagine it on a window sill with the light streaming in? Lovely!

"Little Vases for Big Flowers" quite possibly could be my favorite piece especially since the peony is my favorite flower....it only takes one!

amazing colors!

Visit Lyons Glass to see more images of her beautiful work and if you are like me walk around your house daydreaming of a possible "home" for one of her jars!

(images from Lyons Glass)