Design Finds

While shopping at Target today I cam across a few great finds. I have to admit, although I usually find myself lusting after Restoration Hardware furniture I fell in love with a few of Target’s pieces. First off is a beautiful little side table, a great addition to a dining room or foyer. Or this version with a drawer, perfect for a smaller bedroom or guest room. These tables remind me of old Hollywood glamour, which is back in style with a bang.

Adding a lamp to top these tables will brighten any room significantly because of the reflective mirrored surface. An acrylic base with a white linen shade (see below) would look stunning.

Another piece that really caught my eye was a headboard, also in the old Hollywood Glamour series called the Seville Tufted Headboard. It’s incredibly soft and gives the look and feel of a high style, expensive piece of furniture.

This headboard is even more stunning in person. It comes in Twin, Full, Queen, King and California King.

While I haven’t personally bought any of these (that’s soon to change!), most of the online reviews make a point to mention the great quality, which I’m sure will please everyone.

Another noteworthy aisle I found while shopping was Target’s amazing serving pieces. I was floored by all the beautiful ceramic serving platters and bowls. I especially loved the silver edged set. These are perfect neutral serving platters that will compliment existing pieces nicely. The white rectangular platters are astonishing with a modern set. While the rounded pieces will compliment the more traditional existing serving pieces.

Actually all of the white ceramic pieces are fabulous and incredibly reasonably priced.

One other noteworthy aisle that I didn’t have a chance to hit is the bedding aisle. I recently bought a brown bedspread, and I’m in love with it. Its lightweight so perfect for this in between weather we’re having.

Overall it was a very successful trip to Target. Every time I shop there I find something new and exciting. The most exciting part for me is that its relatively inexpensive, something I can afford, and most of my clients can afford as well. Target is generally a local store, with some great finds, and you’re never too far from one. Check out Target.com for everything I’ve mentioned and more.

Paint the Town Red! ...or pink.

Remember in the first entry when I said one of the biggest changes you can make to a room is paint? Well, its true. Its also one of the least expensive changes, especially if you’re a do-it-yourselfer like I am. A gallon of paint is so inexpensive, usually running between $10 and $25, depending on brand and finish, yet it can give a room new life. I can’t stress enough the impact a small amount of paint can make, especially if the room starts off white.

(I pulled inspiration from this photo for my own bedroom.)

There are, as always, a few things you should know before getting started:

First, if you feel uncomfortable doing this yourself, have high ceilings or a large room, it is best to hire professionals. They are professionals, they know what they’re doing and sometimes that can give you peace of mind you wouldn’t otherwise have.

Second, take the time to look through magazines and books, find something that catches your eye and have the paint store match it. Stores like The Home Depot and Lowe’s also have a great selection of hundreds if not thousands of colors available through the manufacturer.

Keep in mind your existing furniture and artwork. That “Azure Mist” may look amazing in the book, but it might not look so amazing with your rust colored sofa. Of course this would give you the perfect excuse to update all the furniture…

Remember to choose your paint finish according to the room. Bedrooms can be done in flat, eggshell or satin. Bathrooms and kitchens are always done semi-gloss because it can handle the scrubbing much better than a flat paint would. Any area with high traffic, such as a foyer or hallway should be done in a satin or semigloss. Ceilings are almost always flat, and trim finished in a gloss paint.

(I love the vibrancy of this red, and the accent of brown brings the red down a notch.)

A little anxiety over a change like this is completely normal. If you have anxiety over picking a color, go with something a little more neutral. I happen to love a color by Olympic called “Puppy Paws”. It’s a dark tan, which still introduces color into the space, but it’s a neutral and very pleasing to the eye. In fact I love it so much I painted three rooms in my house Puppy Paws! Sherwin Williams also has a color visualizer online, as well as a place to order samples larger than the 1"x3" swatch in the deck.

(The brown black and white decor of this room is incredibly neutral, but beautiful nonetheless!)

I’ve met people that are terrified of anything darker than Navajo white, stating that the room will seem too small. Yes, colors have the ability to make rooms feel smaller, but they also have the ability to make a space feel larger, as well as the bonus of added elegance and implied luxury. For example, dark colors in a small room make the walls appear to recede, making the room look larger. Don’t believe me? Ask Rachael Ray!

(Another tip to keep the room feeling large and airy, choose smaller scale, open concept furniture, but we’ll talk about that another time.)

(I love the grey/tan of these walls and the pop of the teal comforter and accent pillows!)

My point is, when it comes to color, there is NOTHING to be afraid of. There are so many beautiful spaces with unlimited unrealized potential. I've attached photos of some of my favorite rooms, as inspiration. Feel free to take a look and be sure to let me know what you think!

Home & Garden Expo

For those of you in the South East corner of Michigan, or the surrounding area, there is a huge expo show this weekend at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi. I went last night and was surprised to see the number of participants. Upon entering you’re greeted by freebies galore! I picked up some wonderful samples of paint, hardwoods, granite, and so much more.

One of the most interesting things I found was an acrylic tile. It was a digital image of the selected stone pressed between layers of clear acrylic. At first I thought it was just a very thin piece of quartz, but upon examination discovered that it was essentially plastic. The booth manager said that the product was scratch resistant, completely sealed from water (great for shower & bath areas), the product is also fade resistant and comes with a lifetime warranty. It comes in so many finishes, essentially every stone you can imagine and can be arranged into gorgeous patterns too! I was thoroughly impressed by this, especially because it fooled me into thinking it was real stone.

If you get to the H&G Expo take a look, its located in the fourth aisle, all the way down on the right side. The name of the company is Putman & Associates, and they are actually builders and remodeling specialists (if that bathroom needs a total overhaul). The Sales Manager, Mark is the guy to ask for.

One of my favorite booths was the Sherwin Williams corner. I’ve long been a fan of Sherwin Williams, mostly because they’ve always been so great to work with. Once upon a time they came to some of my classes and demonstrated products, and we left with goodie bags filled with paint decks and textured paint examples. To this day I use them on my project boards, and recommend Sherwin Williams to my clients. Their customer service and specialists are second to none. I was given paint samples, product demonstrations, and the manager even gave me a few phone numbers to call for potential jobs and recommendations. The Sherwin Williams booth is located in the second aisle dead center.

While there were tons of design related exhibits, gardens, boats and hot tubs galore, my favorite non-design exhibit was definitely the petting zoo. I have a soft spot for farm animals, and those little ducks just made me melt. They also had rabbits, goats, sheep, an alpaca and a donkey. Surprisingly there were more adults cooing the animals than children playing with them. But I stepped in and got a few kisses from the alpaca, and nibbled by one of the goats.

Overall a very successful trip to the expo. I’m loaded down with contact filing and thrilled about it. Here are a few tips, if you plan on heading down to the H&G Expo this weekend:

Take it an aisle at a time. There are a lot of exhibits there, so its going to be a little overwhelming at first.

Take a map, that way you know where all the booths you want to hit are located.

Take a break and hit the concessions. All that home improvement can make you hungry. Take the time while you’re enjoying your popcorn or candied almonds (they were amazing by the way, and theres a 2 for 1 coupon at the ticket booth) to look over the information you received. That way when you get it home, you have a better collection of thoughts on what you saw.

TAKE NOTES!!! After a while, one booth starts looking like another, and after a while you won’t know which one you went to for what information. So, feel free to bring along a pen and notepad (or stop by the Tallon Construction booth, they’re giving away free notepads) and write down what the vendors tell you.

Its a great experience and only seems to get better year after year. Head out there if you have the time, you won't be disappointed. For directions, vendors and more go to http://www.novihomeshow.com/

Perspectives

It was suggested to me by a professor to start a blog about my life post-graduation and my entrance into the interior design world. I tossed around the idea for a while and now, 4 months later, here I am!

I want to first, share my knowledge of design. Many people have asked me for advice regarding color, lighting, furniture plans, accessories, window treatments and so much more. Some of the solutions are as simple as paint or a new lamp, but because they stare at the space every day, they can no longer visualize how a change like that will transform the space. But I am here to tell you, simple things can and will change the entire look and feel of your space. So, ask me any question you can think of (design related of course), and I will answer it to the best of my knowledge, or find someone who can.

Second, I want to put my name and ideas out there. I love interior design. No, love is an understatement. I live, breathe and... I don't even know! I can pinpoint the moment I fell in love with the possibilities and transformations of interior design. I was about 9 years old flipping channels (we had just changed cable companies and all the channels had changed). I found a show, which now I know to be Trading Spaces (TLC). Much to my excitement, there was a woman putting hay on the walls...yes, hay, for horses. While I'd never actually put a client through the shock of a hay wall treatment, the concept lit the fire within me. I love coming up with concepts, working and watching those ideas come to life. I leave a little piece of my heart in every project I've done. Nothing makes me happier than a finished project and a happy client.

Lastly I want to know what you think. I want your feedback and your ideas. I want to know how I can help you make your home work for you. I want to encourage you to take that step and finally slap some paint on those white walls, or try that new red sofa that you've been eyeing. Taking that leap into the design world, I promise it'll lead to even more exciting enhancements.

So here it is, my brand new blog. Feel free to email me, or comment with any questions or comments. I'm more than happy to answer them!

Happy Designing!

♥ ♥ ♥ S