Design Details: Making an Entrance

I’ve always said that the difference between an OK looking room and a STUNNING room is in the design details. Little things like architectural details, unique windows, artistic flooring and eclectic accessories. One of the most overlooked design details of a home is often the first thing you encounter when you enter a home…the door knob.  How many of us really take the time to look at a door knob, let alone notice if it is special or unique?

A simple door knob update can make a huge difference to the first impression that your home gives off and it can set the tone for the STUNNING spaces that lie beyond its threshold.

Design details matter, starting at the front door.

 Changing out your door knob is a simple update that anyone can make and it just might be the design update your home has s been needing.

all images can be found on my Doors pinterest board

HIGH Five: 5 Tips for Decorating the tops of Bookcases and Armoires

When it comes to decorating bookcase shelves and the inside of armoires you can find lots of great tips and examples on how to get the best look on design blogs, in magazines and on Pinterest.  When it comes to decorating the tops of bookcase and armoires it’s harder to find tips and design ideas on what to do with this space.  After working on several armoire and bookcase projects lately, I decided to compile a list of 5 Tips For Decorating the Tops of Bookcases & Armoires.  These are my tried-and-true techniques for making the most of the space up high.

 1.  CREATE A VIGNETTE

Think of the top of a bookcase or armoire as you would a tabletop surface and create a vignette that tells a story and has a point of view.  Display items that relate in color, style or theme or use this area to display a collection of pieces.  Just a you would a tabletop surface, use items of different heights and widths to create dimension with in the display.

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2. LAYER FROM THE WALL OUT

While it is ok to display items solely on the top surface of your bookcase or armoire, hanging (or leaning) a decorative piece on the wall will draw the eye in and the piece will serve as a frame for the items positioned in front of it.  The wall space above a bookcase or armoire is idea for  large piece of art, decorative platter, basket or  even a mirror.

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3.  USE CIRCLES FOR CONTRAST

Decorating with circular items is a great way to break up the visual bulkiness of a heavy rectangular bookcase or armoire.  Clocks, round containers, bowls and decorative objects in round or oval shapes will make your top vignette more dynamic and interesting.

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4.  ADD A LITTLE T.L.C.

T for Texture, L for Length and C for Color!  Items with texture are a great way to add visual interest into your display.

  Baskets, greenery, metal and wood are all good textures to display with.

Creating a display that fills the length of your bookcase or armoire top is ideal versus placing items just in the center of the unit.  The entire impact of the unit will be greater if the display fills the space side to side.

Adding color up high is always a good idea for creating impact.  Pick a color from other elements in the room and carry that to the top of your unit.  Flowers, artwork and pottery pieces can add color and substance.

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5.  BE BOLD

Don’t go skimpy with the accessories you place up high.  Opt for bulkier, larger and more substantial pieces that will stand out and create visual impact.

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If you’ve been challenged with what to do on the tops of built-in bookcase, free-standing armoires or even kitchen cabinets, these tips will help you accessorize those spaces like a pro.

If you’d like help creating a home your absolutely love, CONTACT ME about my design services.

Entertaining Inspiration: Tassel Garland

One of my new party décor obsessions is Tassel Garland.  There is just something so playful and charming about these dangling poufs of paper pieces.  I especially love them in metallic but just about any color combination is a great way to style a birthday party, baby shower or cocktail soiree for friends. 

Be Inspired!

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I love the idea of adding a pattern into the mix.

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Dip Dyed Tassel Garland

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If you want to buy Tassel Garland check out these great Etsy shops, TheFlairExchange, StudioMucci and GlamFeteByBri or you can make your own with this DIY tutorial below.

I spent time on Saturday making 30 tassels to use at an event the non-profit I work with was holding on Sunday.  Unfortunately the event was cancelled due to weather so now I’ve got 30 tassels to do something with.  I guess a party is in order!

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Have a great day!

A Patio Spruce Up

Remember when I told you about my favorite outdoor pillow from World Market? The beautiful paisley pillow that I used in an outdoor deck design for a client

Well it seems that more than one of my clients loved this pillow as much as I did.

A couple of weeks ago, LW asked me to help here spruce up here covered patio.  The goal was to use as much of the existing furniture as possible, update the look and infuse new styles and color into the space.

We started with one dark green chaise cushion that we wanted to keep and black iron furniture.

And these were a few of the accessories that we like, all from World Market.

Mercer Metal Lanterns

Chevron Pillow

Aegean Ceramic Hurricanes

In little over a week this is the space that we pulled together….

LW’s outdoor patio is covered so there is not a lot of direct sunlight that filters in.  The bright colors help to visually open up the space and keep it cheerful.

The red chair and loveseat cushions add a playful punch and look great against the black iron furniture.

The green chaise cushion that LW already had adds some depth and looks great with the paisley pillow.  A striped throw was added for a pattern contrast.

 We originally started with another coffee table option but this round iron table was a last-minute score at World Market.  The round table provides a break from all the square and rectangular furniture pieces.

Two pots sit on a side table, one is a water feature and the other holds a plant.  The basket under the table hides the cords to the water feature {and add some visual texture}.

We opted for a stripe pillow for the side chair.

The near wall had some open space so we move an already existing outdoor storage chest there and created a seating area.  The paisley cushion and chevron pillows work great together to brighten this corner.

The white garden seat (sold in stores only) adds a table surface to this corner.  And the bench, which was existing, got a new cushion and is perfect for propping your feet up or as additional seating.

To create somewhat of a visual window, hanging pieced glass lanterns were added above the railing and hold battery operated candles. The mosaic pattern is beautiful against the sunlight and at night with the candles glowing.

LW’s adorable chow, AVA is really enjoying the new outdoor carpet that was installed.  Because this space does get some water exposure the carpet had to be industrial grade.

  The subtle swirl pattern with green and red flecks works great with the color theme of the patio.

 

 In the far corner of the patio a few decorative accents were added to the top of an existing storage cabinet.

I’m so glad I was able to help LW create an outdoor living room that she and Ava will enjoy for years to come.

And thanks to World Market for creating a pillow that has inspired a nation!

For information about my affordable in-home or e-design services, please click here!

 

This is not a sponsored post, just sharing my love for World Market products!

Vintage Inspiration + Weekend Reads

I love this vignette made up of a wonderful selection of collected vintage items.  Vintage pieces add such personality and uniqueness to your décor!

Have a great weekend and enjoy these links…

Stunning and affordable

Have you ever tried this trick?

A fabulous new blog I discovered

My DVR is going to get a workout with all these new shows coming

Success Tips

Beautiful Flowers {that you can make yourself}

 

Enjoy the weekend!

New on the Bookshelf

There are lots of new design books which have recently been released and as usual, I couldn’t resist adding a few new titles to my ever-growing collection of design books.  Here’s what new on the bookshelf…

Outdoor Spaces, produced by Coastal Living and is filled the stunning images of chic and stylish outdoor space.  I found inspiration on every page, from the accessories and pillows to the furniture layouts and color combinations.  With some many design books focused on the interior of a home it is great to add this outdoor inspiration book to my collection.

If you love to entertain and throw parties, you’ll definitely want to get The Art of The Party.  From small-scale events to larger galas and weddings, you get a fresh crop of ideas that will inspire your next party.

Ronda Carmen, the blogger behind the blog All The Best has compiled some of the most beautiful spaces that exist in her book Designers At Home.  All of the rooms featured are the personal living spaces of some of the nation’s top interior designers like Bunny Williams, India Hicks and Charlotte Moss.

Bazaar Style: Decorating the Market and Vintage Finds spoke to my love of thrifting and finding the diamond in the rough.  I love seeing how items from yesteryear are incorporated into stylish interiors for today.  This is the perfect inspiration book for my this years shopping trip to the Longest Yard Sale.

What books have you added to your bookshelf lately?

Confessions of an Auction Virgin

Ok folks, why hasn’t anyone told me about auctions before? Many of you have written about going to auctions on your blogs and I’ve seen some of the great items you come home with but no one ever told me how totally awesome they are!!

Last week the hubs and I had a new experience and attended an auction for the first time.  All I can say is that I’m hooked and will definitely be making this a regular part of my schedule.

The auction we attended is held in an old warehouse that at first glance was a little suspect.  The place was not pretty, the lights were low and the crowd was pretty diverse. All I kept thinking as we approached the building was, “I’m glad I didn’t wear sandals just in case a varmint runs across the floor” and “I’m so glad the hubs came along”!  But once we walked in the door I knew we had entered someplace special.  Just image thousands of items stacked to the rafters.  I’m not talking junk people, I’m talking furniture (antiques and newer), lighting, artwork, rugs, decorative pieces and just about anything else you can image.  This was a thrift shoppers dreams and I was living it!

As we made our way to the back of the building we passed a food buffet that is apparently a signature element on auction night.  And, there was also a bar serving all kinds of beverages.

The back of the auction house had rows and rows of chair set up for bidders and in front of that were all the items that were going to be auctioned off that night. I immediately registered, got my bid number and began looking thought the auction items. I was overwhelmed with not only the number of items but also the range of pieces.  As my heart began to beat faster I started jotting down the numbers for the items I was interested in.  OMG I was beyond excited at the possibility.

Precisely at 6:15 pm the auction began and as I sat there I couldn’t believe my ears.  The auctioneer started the bidding at $5.00 for most of the items and $25.00 for the larger furniture pieces. Are you kidding me!

Long story short, I bid on 5 or 6 things, only won the bid on two and we left the auction house at 11:00pm with the bidding stilling going on.

If you live in Atlanta and are wondering where this auction is, word on the street is that this auction is a well-kept secret and those in the know don’t share the name or location so I’m sworn to secrecy!

Just to give you an idea of the “awesomeness” of it all, I snapped a few photos of some of the items up for grabs.  Hold on, you are going to be blown away by the prices these pieces sold for.

Everything you see in the photo, plus the stuff on the walls were being auctioned off and this was just a fraction of the items.

This antique settee sold for $100.00.  The frame was in great condition and all it needs is a new upholstery job.

This wood cabinet sold for $85.00.

There were 4 of these vintage kitchen chairs and they sold for $90.00 for the set.

Here’s a look at some of the others items up for auction.  The globe sold for $10 and that vintage dresser sold for $45.00.

I loved this old wood umbrella stand with shelf and bid on it.  It sold for $80.00. I only wanted to pay $50 so I didn’t win the bid.

This vintage desk was beautiful.  It sold for $150.00 and I think it could sell for $500+ at an antique market.

I also loved this vintage wood display piece and could just image my spools of ribbon on it.   Too bad it wouldn’t fit in my car.  It sold for $95.00.

This was one of the steals of the night.  This arch top secretary desk sold for $125.00.  I saw a similar one on eBay for $2200!

This wall clock was not working but had a really great style and design to it.  It sold for $35.00.

Two guys bought this massive piece of original oil art (7.5′ x 5′) for only $120.  The frame alone was worth hundreds!

After the majority of the big items sold the crew brought out racks of smaller items like glassware, frames and pillows and  decorative objects.  Each shelf on the rack was auctioned off in total with most of the shelves selling for $5.00 or less.  There were lots of shelves that sold for $1.00.

My purchases for the night included a vintage wood magazine rack something like this one for $12.00

and I bought a “lot” of picture frames and framed art for $12.50 (14 pc. in total).

Attending my first auction reminded me of a few life lessons:

1. Never Judge a Book by It’s Cover–Inside that “old warehouse” was a stash of fabulous items.

2.  True Friends Share–A good friend that was “in the know” shared the date and location of this auction with me.

3.  Growing up my mom used to tell me that nothing good happens after dark–In the case of this auction, some of the best bargains can be found after 10:00 pm!

4.  My husband is my best friend!

5.  The Core Of Man’s Spirit Comes from New Experiences–Chris McCandless

6.  Dreams do come true!

Now that I have my first auction under my belt, I think it’s appropriate to call me an Auction Hunter!