Spell it Out

Dear Designer's Blog

When my son was a little boy I hand painted little wooden letters that I purchased at Michaels to spell his name, G-R-A-N-T. These were placed on a little shelf over his bed and each night he liked to spell out his name before going to sleep. Little did I know at that time that typography would be a huge trend in years to come. While it has been around for a while and may soon be cooling down, I still like this trend a lot and often bookmark images that contain the use of letters and words as wall art. Generally, the ideas I see are ones that could be duplicated inexpensively but don't look run of the mill.

Vintage Marquee Letters currently available at Etsy from Vintage Embellisment would make a great addition to a library or reading space.

Create a similar look by printing letters in various fonts on your computer then hanging them in a grid . (Try the Dollar Store for inexpensive frames.)

Grain Edit

Love this idea to spell out a word with pillows.

Interior Design Sense


To get the look above, create your own pillows following a simple tutorial from So Wonderful So Marvelous.

This image reminds me of a couple of newlyweds in their first apartment. So cute.

WeLoveIndie.com

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Vintage shops and antique stores are good resources for salvaged metal letters.





Wooden letters covered in scrapbook papers are all it takes to get the look you see in the kitchen on the set of Cougar Town. Blogger Modern Jane featured a similar project completed by a friend. (See below.)

Are you a fan of ABC's in your home?

Heat Up Your Fireplace

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The fireplace is often the focal point of a room. For that reason you'll want to give some thought to what you perch on your mantle or hang over the fireplace.


A visit to a shop that specializes in architectural salvage pieces could yield you a very unique piece for over the mantle.

Mrs. French





Antique Tin Ceiling Panels, $22 each could be left as is, painted or decked out in gold or silver leaf.



A series of these guardian angel plaques, $15 would make a great focal point

Hanging a mirror over the fireplace is nothing new, but you don't have to settle for a run of the mill one.

Make you own by painting an old frame in a new, fun color and have a piece of mirror cut for inside.

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If one mirror is good, multiple mirrors are even better.

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Artwork always works to dress up the fireplace, but it doesn't come cheap. Until you can afford what you really want, there are plenty of affordable alternatives.

Frame a beautiful scarf

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Enlarge a photo and divide it among several frames. Lynda from Focal Point used a photo taken in New York for her project. She saved money by printing the photos at home. (Print photos as a poster to get separate images.)

A wall decal

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You might consider making your own art piece to hang over the mantle like this one from Concrete Enthusiast made from plywood scraps and acrylic paints.





For a contemporary look, paint a simple geometric pattern on a group of canvases.

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If you crave cottage style in your home, consider hanging a framed quilt square over your fireplace.

I love the simplicity and modern feel of this Celtic knot quilt design. (Instructions at E-how.com.)

If you have some basic sewing skills and a little ambition you could create a larger quilt to hang over your fireplace. Imagine the quilt below done in Amy Butler fabrics for a feminine look. For a more contemporary feel, two simple fabrics in different black and white patterns would work well.

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Do you have something unique perched on your mantle or hanging above your fireplace?

Combining Patterns to Add Pizzaz

Find inspiration for combining pattern at Calico Corners

Do you have a room full of solid colored furniture that seems a little blah? What about a room filled with neutrals that could use some pizzaz? I'm currently dealing with both of those issues in my great room. My solution? I'll be adding pattern.

I started out with a solid white sofa and two brown leather chairs. While I loved the white sofa it was time to replace the chairs. Since I like the flexibility that neutrals provide, I chose chairs in a bold black and white pattern.

New chairs, check. Accessories? Time to go shopping, Mama needs some color!

Next on my agenda will be to add a couple more items to the space with patterns that compliment the one used on the chairs. This might be in the form of pillows, a rug or a throw blanket. Once I choose those pieces, accessorizing the room should come a lot easier.

A few of my favorite ways to combine pattern for a look that says "coordinated" not "clashing":

A multicolored pattern and two solids with texture

A solid with minimal embellishment, an animal print and a colorful "statement" pillow

A large pattern, a small pattern, and a stripe

A floral, a stripe and a solid

A geometric, a solid and large scale pattern

*All images via Polyvore.



Do you have a favorite combination when it comes to patterns?

Home Decorating Shows May be Hazardous to Your Budget

They make it look so easy!

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Their intentions are all good, but there are a few minor details that the hosts of our favorite home decorating and DIY shows don't tell us. Namely, there can be a lot of hidden expenses when viewers try to achieve the looks so effortlessly created in a mere 30 minute segment.

Does this scenario sound familiar: A young couple saves up to buy a basic no frills home. They are planning to add their own personality, they just don't know where to start. Enter the hostess with the mostest to save the day! She will start them off on their journey by tackling the most used room in the home, the family room. First up, crown moulding will be added to those boring walls to give them a bit of architectural interest. Next, she'll pull up that hideous mauve carpet to reveal hardwood floors that just need a little sanding and stain to make them shine. Then they are off to the thrift store to snag a few deals on some vintage furniture with great lines. Finally, the finishing touches like curtain panels and accessories are added to complete the look. In the end the hostess presents an itemized list of expenses totaling just under $500!

Is this really a DIY job for an amateur?

Sorry my friends, I'm just not buying it. Let's take the crown mouldings for instance. While the actual materials can be budget friendly there are other factors to consider, namely labor. (Wouldn't it be nice if the cost of purchasing crown moulding included a hot looking carpenter to install it for you? I call dibs on Andrew Dan Jumbo!)

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Make it a DIY project you say? Have you ever tried installing crown moulding? According to a carpenter that I consulted, this is one project that a beginner should not consider. I was told that corners must be precisely cut in order to join seamlessly, not a skill that is quickly mastered. Apparently, it is not unusual for a carpenter's apprentice to make his or her fair share of costly mistakes when learning this still. Mistakes = More trips to the lumberyard + More out-of-pocket expenses. (I won't even mention the cost of buying or renting the necessary tools.) Unless you have a friend who is an ace carpenter, projects that require carpentry skills that are beyond the basic variety will take up a not-so-nice chunk of your budget.

Do they ever mention the copious amount of dust involved in sanding floors?

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How about those hardwood floors they conveniently find hiding below the carpet. When I pulled the carpet up at my last home what I found wasn't a diamond in the rough but instead some nasty carpet pad and a sub-floor spotted with urine stains. If I had found hardwood I would have had to rent a sander or pay someone else to get those floors in shape to accept stain. Renting a machine and buying sandpaper can easily run you a couple hundred dollars. See the dollar signs adding up?

Let's move on to the infamous visits to the thrift store where miraculously the hostess and the home owners find a plethora of furniture pieces that need a simple coat of paint or some reupholstering to get them in tip top shape. My personal favorite is when the hostess bats her pretty eyelashes and the shop owner reduces the price or throws in a few extra pieces to sweeten the deal. I shop antique malls and thrift stores regularly and I'm lucky if I find a hot deal every fifth or sixth visit. (Although I could try brushing up on my flirting skills, you never know if a quick "You have the nicest smile" will yield a price reduction on an end table.)

With those lashes she could have the thrift store owner paying her to take furniture.

While it is definitely possible to score great deals at thrift shops, it might take some time, a little elbow grease and cash to get your bargains in shape to work in your room. Seriously, how many viewers know how to reupholster a sofa on their own? Again, the cost of labor and several yards of upholstery fabric has to be factored into the equation. Speaking of fabric, have you ever noticed that the hostess always seems to locate fabric at a great price? If you or I find a to-the-trade-only fabric that we adore we will be paying a hefty upcharge on top of the decorator's price. What about the cost of gas associated with driving from store to store trying to locate affordable accessories, curtain panels or simple supplies?

Don't get me wrong, I've learned a great deal from watching design programming, but I'm always a bit leery of the bottom line that is reported. While these not-so-hidden costs don't stop me from enjoying my favorite design shows, I take them with a grain of salt.

Have you ever tried a project you saw on a home improvement show only to find that it wasn't as easy or budget friendly as you were led to believe?

Let's Get Personal

I was so honored when the very sweet Lisa of Lisa Goulet Design awarded me the Stylish Blogger Award. Here's the skinny on the award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pay the award forward to 10 great bloggers.

4. Contact those 10 bloggers and let them know that they have received the award.

So, 7 things about me? I'm not used to giving a lot of personal details about my life, but here goes:

1. I absolutely must make my bed every single day. There's just something about getting into a freshly made bed at night that makes me say, "ahhhh".

Via Ralph Lauren

2. I wrote a fitness blog for a local personal trainer for 10 months in exchange for free personal training. Believe me, it doesn't get any easier the longer you train!

3. I used to dream of becoming an elementary school music teacher, but seeing as that I'm completely tone deaf, I gave up that fantasy early on.

4. My husband decided to make our honeymoon destination a surprise and spent months planning the trip. He was going to let me in on the secret when we arrived at the airport the morning after our wedding. Unfortunately, as our photographer was taking a few final pictures before we left the reception, my father-in-law's business partner yelled out, "Have a great time in Aruba!" We both could have throttled him!

5. I'm fairly certain that I should seek a 12 step program for my addiction to rearranging furniture and accessories and changing the look of my home. I once overheard my daughter's friend say that every time she comes to our home something is different.

6. I had the pleasure of participating in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition when they built a home for a family in my area who had adopted several children from Haiti. It was a fantastic experience. The designers were all so down-to-earth and spent a good deal of time talking to all the fans who showed up each day to watch the progress, take photos and get autographs.

The finished home. They really do complete it in 7 days!

7. I love to read, usually finishing one or two books a week. I prefer authors who publish a book every few years as opposed to ones who come out with a new one every nine months. Quality over quantity!

The best book I read in 2010, I'd highly recommend it.

There are so many blogs that I adore that I couldn't possibly name just 10. Instead, I'd like to give a shout out to two of my new favorites:

The Yellow Cape Cod

The Glam Lamb

Thanks again to Lisa for the award!

What Would Betty Draper Do?

Via Examiner.com

They may have started as a means for women in the mid 20th century to escape the drudgery of life as a housewife and possibly make a little mad money, but should they still be a part of 21st century culture? I'm talking about the dreaded in-home "parties" where you are invited to purchase over priced products like cooking gadgets, storage containers, or cosmetics based on a multi-level marketing scheme. How did women in the 1950's deal with this. I'll bet Betty Draper would have tactfully R.S.V.P.'ed to her hostess letting her know she had a conflict in her schedule the night of the "party".

Why would I want to pay more money AND wait two weeks to get storage containers that I could buy today at Target?

My mom abhorred Tupperware parties which she called "Suckerware" because only suckers were fool enough to not have a ready excuse for why they couldn't attend. I am proud to say that I have never been strong armed into hosting one of these so called "parties" because I don't view them as parties at all. What about the following constitutes a party? :

1. Inviting someone into your home to listen to a presentation about products they probably don't need or want and could find for a lower price at any number of retailers

2. Asking guests to your home to buy aforementioned products that they may not want, need or be able to afford

3. Subjecting invited guests to the pushy sale tactics of the representative of the products

4. Receiving free merchandise as a result of extorting money from guests

Do you see anything here that you couldn't find elsewhere for less?

What I suppose is the real cause of my revulsion is that I get invited to these parties regularly by people who have never extended me an invitation to their annual Super Bowl Sunday party or even asked me over for a measly cup of coffee and small talk, but have no qualms requesting that I give up an evening of watching Modern Family with my husband to come over to spend my money so that they can receive free merchandise.

I'm not saying that the products offered at these "parties" are lacking in quality; I'm sure the products are perfectly well made. I also realize that representatives who sell the merchandise may rely on the income they make to pay for day-to-day expenses. It may be their only means of income, but I don't care for the high pressure sales tactics that they are trained to use to make a sale.

If you are invited to a party in my home be assured that I will greet you at the door with a smile, offer you my famous sangria and a spread of tasty food that I lovingly prepared and never, ever ask you to bring your wallet.

I'm dying to know if I'm alone in my view of these parties? Have you hosted one? Have you ever sold products through home parties? What was your experience?

Remote Control

via Recycled Crafts

Nothing spoils the look of a beautifully styled coffee table quite like an ugly collection of television, dvd and stereo remotes. If you have a table full of these or even a single universal remote, it's time to do some "remote control" and get rid of these unappealing ugg-os.

In the room where we watch television I like to keep the remotes handy but out of sight by stashing them in a ginger jar I picked up last year at Burlington Coat Factory.

Am I the only one who would feel guilty tossing a perfectly good poinsettia after the holidays?

Regardless of your personal style, there are plenty of ways to keep your remotes hidden. Look no further than online sites that sell vintage wares if your goal is to find unique boxes with character where you can discreetly store your remotes until they are needed.

This beautiful box, currently available from Etsy seller Wilsheperd, is $45.

Hide remotes within a larger arrangement. Notice how the small storage box on the left near the bottom of this arrangement of wooden crates fits right in. This look would be perfect in a home with a coastal flair.

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If you like a modern look in your home you might want to pick up an unfinished box at a craft store and add a graphic pattern with paint. Check out these designs from Bromeliad for inspiration.







Lindsay from Everything LEB didn't want to pay over $100 for a box she'd seen at Plantation. Instead, she got out a ruler and some painter's tape and created the look for less. I love the color this box. Wouldn't it look beautiful sitting on a side table as a storage box for remotes?

For those who love a global look in their home, baskets and boxes with an ethnic flair are perfect for stowing your collection of remotes. The box below is from Ten Thousand Villages but similar looks could be found at Pier 1 or Cost Plus World Market.


Cost Plus World Market has a great selection of storage solutions with a global vibe.

Boxes and baskets are not your only options for hiding your remotes. The next time you are shopping or even while doing a little new year's closet cleaning, keep your eyes peeled for other ways to conceal these small devices. A few suggestions:

An old jewelry box

A small vintage suitcase

A metal lunch box

A fabric covered box (Create your own with a shoebox and a fabric remnant.)

A wooden cigar box

A colorful planter

A hollowed out book


Do you practice remote control?