Archive for May, 2008
Maria’s Design Dilemma
This week the room-to-be-wrangled is all about modifying existing pieces with carefully selected items and accessories. Here’s Maria’s story:
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog, and I’ve liked the advice you have given others. So here’s my own design dilemma: my living room needs to be updated. I like the PB/West Elm style, and I like earth tones with silver accents including mirrors. In the picture, the things that I would like to keep are: the painting, the sofa, the loveseat and a rug which I’ve already purchased. I like the wall color but would like some coordinating tables (brown or black?) in the front and side of the sofa, and lamps. I also have this purple chair which I like, but I don’t necessarily want anything else that’s purple in the room. I hope you enjoy this challenge! -Maria
Maria has a good base to work with. It’s amazing how simply you can reinvent a space with a new color scheme and a few fabulous pieces. So without further adieu, we give you our latest mood board:
Here’s the mood board breakdown.
Read the rest of this entry »
Coffee (Table) Talk
Always one to spice it up around the house, I wasted no time giving our living room’s $30-thrift-store-find-of-a-coffee-table a lighter look for the warmer weather. Here’s the old bookish, low-profile version:
And here’s the new lighter, more reflective version:
I like exposing more of the glass tabletop for a simpler (and easier to dust) silhouette. And two stacks of books on the bottom shelf really balance the oversized vase that might otherwise look too big for the table. For a finishing touch, the sculptural white shell ball and antler candlestick add some interesting lines without overwhelming.
And I even got to have some fun with a knife to pull the whole thing together…
When I realized I didn’t have a pillar candle around the house I took a regular old kitchen knife to a much wider 4 inch votive candle and after a little slicing I was left with the perfect little pillar to top off the tablescape. Just call me MacGyver. Anyway, whaddya think?
Gimme S’more
This is the most amazingly easy way to add a little fun to your yard (no matter how small) and spruce up your space in mere minutes. Two chairs + a metal firepit = the best seats in the house. Check out our new set-up.
And you don’t even need to have grass. You can set ‘em down on pavers, concrete, a deck, a patio, or even a clearing in the woods. So carve out a corner and surround a firepit with as many chairs as you’d like. Firepits have never been more affordable- take home this basic version for $69.99 or adopt this copper beauty on sale for $119.
Then it’s time for a marshmallow run.
Rachel’s Design Dilemma
It’s time to solve another kitchen conundrum, this time in a 100-year-old farmhouse. Here’s Rachel’s letter:
I have been a lurker on your website for a while. I love seeing what you have done with your home and I love your decorating style! My husband and I bought a two story, 100-year-old farmhouse that needed lots of work-especially in our dated kitchen. We’ve already replaced all of the appliances and the countertop. We’ve also purchased a creamy neutral colored linoleum for the floor, but we haven’t installed it yet. We need to do something with the backsplash and yes, the cupboards are just that frilly-looking. We’d love to modernize this kitchen to match the rest of our home, but we have one problem. I am expecting our 2nd child in four weeks -we also have a two year old!! We are nearly out of time, out of funds, out of energy, and out of inspiration! Any ideas you could give us to get our kitchen updated would be greatly appreciated!! – Rachel
This big kitchen actually gets lots of light and has some major potential- especially with the new countertops and appliances. So without further ado, here’s our mood board:
Here’s the mood board breakdown.
Read the rest of this entry »
Capiz, please.
Warning: what you are about to read will probably make you $59.99 poorer but 59.99% giddier.
The gorgeous capiz chandelier that we have in our bedroom generates its fair share of compliments and “where’d you get that?!” remarks.
Which is actually no surprise since we discovered it when Domino magazine raved about how fantastic it was (with a fantastic price to match- just $99). But thanks to a recent West Elm sale, our beloved capiz beauty is now available for an almost inconceivable $59.99. Be still my beating heart.
And not only does it come in the luminescent white color that we adore, it’s also offered in this gorgeous sand color that they call “mocha.”
Might as well be called “you mocha me crazy” because I am positively loopy over this lamp. So here’s the link. Happy shopping!
