Design With What You Have - Holiday Decorating

When you are starting out in a new house you might not have too many decorations for the holidays. Instead of going out and buying everything in sight why not start with what you already own? At Jace Interiors we call it  "Design With What You Have" or "shop your home"!

As I wrote in today's Monday Morning Happy, I was over at Vog's house and decided to do a quick mantelscape with a few pieces around the house. This is what it looked like before the "designer" took hold of it!! Here is what I found:

I knew we he had these sparkly ornaments in 2 sizes large and small (you can get them at Target right now for $1 a pack!!) so all I needed was to find something to display them in. The key was to find a piece that was tall enough but still narrow enough to fit on the mantel. This tall hurricane worked perfectly!

Next I asked for a pair of cutters and took hold of the fern tree in the front yard. Snip Snip Snip and there I had some greens for the mantel top and to add to the hurricane.

First I wanted to create a little nest with the greens as a bed for the first ornament to sit in. This meant my pieces needed to be small and bendable.

Next I layered in one ornament at a time than a layer of greens, a few smaller ornaments, a green one to add unexpected color (working with what we had..) than I continued with the greens. Towards the top I placed a few smaller bulbs which went in the opposite direction! The layering created some depth and textured. If I just threw in the ornaments, it would have looked to sparse for me.

Once I placed it on the mantel and stepped back I realized I needed to fill it in a bit more and add some sprigs coming from the top for a more natural feel. Than I placed the remaining greens around the mantel and nestled in the extra ornaments. I also added a little fire station I found on a bookshelf by propping it up with a few natural colored coasters to give it height. Just make sure to camouflage the "lift" with your extra ferns!!

This is the other side of the mantel. I am going to sift through my own stash of holiday decorations and fill in the empty spots but this is a good start, especially since we started with a blank slate!!

Do you shop your own house for the holidays?

(images from Jace Interiors)

How To Thursday - Design UP!

I came across this photo on the BHG website and  knew it would be PERFECT for this week's "How To Thursday". Whenever I am hired by a client to work within their "small space" the first thing I ask myself is, are they using their height. Which basically means designing on more than one plain. Using the entire height of a room increases your usable space. It is remarkable how much more you can do when looking up! So let's take a peek at this example:

We start with the cowhide rug and move up to this fantastic sofa which looks to be in pieces, perfect when needing to rearrange. I like that the back of the sofa is not overly high which lets the focus be on the tufted wall, this creates a great stop for your eye as it is not just another "flat" piece of fabric. The use of the deep shelf is perfect for hiding the wiring for the lights. Using lights in this way is brilliant, it doesn't take up floor space or table top space, which both seem to be limited! Than we move our eye up to the decorative shelves that display a few favorite items. Now lets go back to that cowhide area rug, see the black in there? Well they have done this on purpose as it draws your eye from the floor straight UP the wall to those black frames!! A little design trick we use to get you to look where we want you to!

So when you are in a space crunch do yourself a favor and look UP! It's an easy way to maximize your space. Have you designed up a wall in your home? Please share in the comments!

To see how to make the tufted wall click here!

(image from Better Homes and Garden via Kerri Gutekunst)

How To Thursday - Easy Home Updates For Fall

It's been a while since I posted a "How To Thursday", with fall just around the corner I was inspired! Yesterday I was so excited to see AOL Shelter Pop used the fall cleaning tip I tweeted about! Thanks Shelter Pop for including me!

"Change the look: "Rearranging a room always leads to cleaning out and decluttering that room! You get a new room feel and it's clean. A win win!" -Julieann Covino, Create Girl

With today's post I decided to expand on this a bit with a few easy decorating solutions to make your home feel as new as the season! All these tips are easy and most will include pieces you already have in your home!

With the start of the new school year I am sure the kids will be running home with many school art projects. An easy pick me up for the kitchen is to replace the wall decor you have now with the "professional" art projects! The kids will love seeing their pieces framed and I bet it will give you a smile each time you enter the kitchen!

One of my favorite tips is to swap out lamps and area rugs in your house. Do you have a set of lamps in the living room that could work in the bedroom? How about the guest bedroom area rug, why not put it in the master bedroom and move the bed to a different wall. It will give you a new perspective and you will wake up the first few days with that "where am I" feeling!

If you have wicker chairs that you used during the summer on the porch why not wash them down and bring them inside. Add new indoor cushions and you have 2 chairs for the living room! Rearrange your furniture grouping and you will have that "new room" feel!

Hope these fall tips help you brighten your own home!
What tips do you have? Please share!

(images from House Beautiful)

How To Thursday - Flor Bulletin Board

Often I order samples from FLOR for different client projects but the questions has always been what do I do with these samples once the project is over? I have given them away to my nieces who use them in their doll houses and are always excited but what can I do to use them in my own house? Well look who has just given me a solution - the always crafty Martha! Not only does it solve my problem, it also allows me to recycle what I have. I love the idea that you can change the color scheme of your office by just swapping out the carpet tiles! Fantastic!

For the exact "How To" pop on over to the website!

(image from Martha Stewart/Blueprint)

How To Thursday - Revamping The Window Seat

Who likes Spring Cleaning? Truth be told, I like how it feels after, it's the doing part I am not a fan of. Since I had Monday off I decided to tackle the bedroom. As my reward for scrubbing wood floors, getting soaked while washing blinds and eliminating black city dirt from screens I "shopped my house" and redecorated the window seat. So here is my "How To Thursday" on "Designing with what you have" and making your own cushion for a cozy window seat!

It all started with the spring cleaning which became a little boring!

Than started the "I need to make this fun so let's revamp the window seat!
First I fished trough the closet and pulled out the tone on tone polka dot sheers I had up last summer than I layered them with Pale Turquoise Panels I "borrowed" from the guest room.

Next up the actual seat cover.
When I first moved in I measured out the window seat and divided that in half. There are 2 storage areas underneath and I didn't always want to move the entire cushion to get in. I purchased a dense foam, one that would hold up even when sitting on and enough batting to make it feel cushy! The batting clings onto itself when wrapped multiple times so there is no need for stitches.

Next up, what to use for a new cover?
I remember I had an old IKEA duvet cover I was no longer using and because it was only $19 I was not upset about cutting it up. I cut all 3 sides (top and 2 sides leaving the bottom intact which had no seam) so now I was left with one big piece of fabric. I than wrapped it around each cushion and cut to size. Next I covered it as if I was wrapping a present. Using a needle and thread I tacked it down along the middle and the sides while wrapped around the cushion.
Now I know this is not fancy and if I had more time I would have pulled out the sewing machine but for me this was good enough. Plus all seams are hidden in the back and on the sides!

Next I wanted to finish it off with some accent pillows.
A few months back I purchased this pillow from Target though not sure where I would use it and it works perfectly here. I plan to load up on the pillows as I find them. This "new look" didn't cost me anything as I had everything in the apartment and it made the spring cleaning so much more fun!

(images from Jace Interiors)

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!

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)

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)

Jace Interiors Project - Phase 1

Would you mind if I shared a project I am working on with you? This will just be a quick peek as I want to share the entire story with you when the room is complete. This is basically phase 1 - furniture, window treatments, custom pillows and area rug. I am just too excited and thought what better way to celebrate progress than with my blog friends?!

You might remember this is how we started

This is the before space and now......

this is the (almost complete) after space!


custom pillows with trim can make all the difference and don't necessarily have to be expensive


this rug pulls it all together!

Now on to phase 2 - lighting, wall decor and accents!

(images from Jace Interiors)

How to Thursday - Quick changes for the Dining Room

This is a quick "How To Thursday" here are a few tips on making your dining room GLAM!

Doubling up on over sized mirrors like these make an even bigger impact than just one large one! If you don't have a ton of room find a few narrow options. Notice, there are no patterns on the fabric and the rug is subtle. This creates a bit of calm drawing your eye to the over sized pieces.

Find a WOW element like this glamorous chandelier!

Take a look at the furniture you have, are there interesting carvings or curves? What made you fall in love with the piece in the first place? I love how the focal point is the dark wood of this furniture. The intricate design of the chairs pop against the neutral backdrop. This is a great design lesson, let the furniture speak for itself.

(images from Horchow)

How To Thursday - Painted Wallpaper & Wall Flats

It's Thursday which means another "How to Thursday" post!! This is a "How To" personal dilemma. How to create interest in a room without using just a flat paint or the usual wall decor, decals, shelf etc. For months now I have been going back and forth on painting my bedroom, for some reason I just can't commit. Then I came across this idea of painted wallpaper. There is something about painted wallpaper which intrigues me. It could be the embossed quality, texture or the idea I can use any color in the paint deck. I am almost sold on the idea of taking the large solid wall in my bedroom and just wallpapering the center of it. A thick 3' flat painted border around the paper would act like a frame. In my mind I can see it and like the affect. It would add texture and dimension to this one wall drawing you into the room. This type of paper would also be a great solution to the question, "How do I add texture to a front hall or small pantry nook". An area which might not be large enough for wall decor. Let's look at a few options shall we?




The photo above is a fantastic way to get that tin ceiling look, like those found in older New England homes. Any of these patterns would help even out the surface of a horse hair wall also found in older homes. If only I had this as an option in my first apt...horse hair walls can make for bare walls especially when a picture hook falls right to the floor!

Another option are these wall flats above from Inhabit. They are available in 18" x 18" flats. I would alternate them vertical and horizontal as I hang them. It's nice to have options!


What are your thoughts on painted wallpaper and wall flats? Where would you use it in your own home?

(images from Graham & Brown and inhabit)

How To Thursday - Brimfield Transformations

It's time for this weeks "How To Thursday" and since it is the week of Brimfield I thought we would look for some inspiration! A piece which looks hopeless can be transformed into a fantastic item with just a little work. Below are a few great items to keep an eye out for while you are scouting the fields or any other market this coming season!

A shutter painted a soft white and used as a memo board. The bull clips are a great accent. Just be sure to look out for one that is non functioning!

This is a great storage cabinet, one which I could really use in my office. I hope it is one of my finds this year! I would paint it a really fun color and add hardware which would work in the room.

I saw this a few months ago over at Knack. Isn't this fun? An old spring (sanded down in the rough spots) and used as a memo board! How creative would this look on a wall with a bold color paint or a solid fabric behind it?

There is always the hope of finding a really great accent chair with beautiful lines! One which may only need a bit of sanding, new finish and some reupholstering....just a few things to make it uniquely yours!



Here are 2 more FANTASTIC finds!! I would love to create both in my bedroom. The trellis headboard is here and the radiator jewelry organizer here.

Enjoy your time at the antique markets and please share your purchases with me! I love good inspirational finds!

(images top to bottom: House to Home,VivaTerra, Knack Isabelle Halling, Homegoods)

Diary Entry - Spring Bedding

Today I am over at Stylefeeder blogging for the Tastemaker Diaries. This will be a Diary Entry and a How To Thursday post. Take a peak it's all about switching out the heavy bed linens for light, airy springtime bedding! It's an easy "How To" and can make all the difference with a new season. Doesn't that sound nice? Spring is here, open the windows and let the warm breeze in!

Here are a few more options:

Designers Guild Tullgarn Cocoa (on sale!)


Brocade Home Paisley Print Duvet (love the peony color!)



Overstock Branches in French Blue (this is so fresh and crisp, available in more colors!)