well versed (continued)

OK, so I'm just now getting around to posting a few pics of the built-in bookcase I have in my family room. Here's what I've done so far.

Now, I probably shouldn't do this, but I'll go ahead and give you the scoop on what I've purchased to fill the unit and where I've gotten things. All the books you see here came from D.I. At 2 bucks a pop, I'd say they're quite the deal. I've gone 2 or 3 times now to hunt for books that look old, have unique spines, etc.

blue & white vase, $10, Down East; hat boxes, $10, iKea; picture frames, ?, Bombay Company

framed bird prints, $23, The Emporium; wooden box, $9, Ross

WOW! That's a lot of cheap stuff!

office space

Yeah, the movie's hysterical, but a real office space should be inspiring and work-promoting. Which is probably something we could all benefit from. I've been burried in work these last few days. Every spare moment I've had has been consumed with editing, editing, and more editing! Enough all ready! I guess all this time in MY home-office has made me think about what I'd eventually like to do to it. Yes, that's right, I have my very own office. And, it's not part of the kitchen or in my bedroom or a guest bedroom. Okay, it's actually just a spare bedroom, but I don't mind. The fact that it has four walls, a door I can lock, and an attached bathroom is all I need to feel good about this space - well, and some great furnishing, of course! Here are some office tips and pics I found online that I thought were particularly inspirational. Hopefully you'll find them equally as helpful when you get ready to do or re-do your home office. Thank you Southern Accents for having the BEST photo gallery online. I give you all the credit for this post.

Multifunctional Space

Now the space has a library-like feel. Fran suggested a color she describes as "chocolate malt" that created a cozy spot that's a little darker and warmer than the rest of the house.

Get Organized

The once-white built-ins got a semi-gloss coat of the wall color with rich chocolate brown on the shelves and back wall. They are now multi-functional, with cookbooks and kitchen accessories on the left (closest to the kitchen) and barware on the right (closest to the dining room).

Make Use of What You Have

Old suitcases are used for extra storage and as a side table. The Schlossers stow rarely needed documents like bank statements and tax forms inside. A table lamp adds additional lighting.

Clean It Up

Chocolate brown paint on the moving parts of the windows add visual interest in the room. The fabric on the Roman shade ties it all together. To eliminate desk clutter, Fran placed the printer on the shelf at left, near the computer.

The matching filing cabinet was bulky and wasn't working well, so they decided to move it out and place file boxes on the new bookshelves.

Make Your Own Rug

Fran loved this jute rug, but it's available only as a 4 by 6 -- too small even for this tiny space. To make it work, she bought three rugs and stiched them together with silk cording.

It Doesn't Have to Match

To give the pine desk new life, they painted it a rich olive green. The turned-wood pulls were traded in for old doorknobs from an architectural salvage shop.

Now the smallest and most neglected room in the house is the Schlosser's favorite, and they hang out in there even when they don't have work to do.

the bathroom: not just a place to go "you know what" anymore...

More and more I'm seeing furniture pieces in bathrooms, and I'm LOVING it! Why can't our bathrooms be equally as beautiful and comfortable as our living spaces? If you're lucky enough to have a bathroom large enough to allow for a furniture piece or two, then count your many blessing and get on it! I love the idea of an antique (or made to look antique :-) ) bookcase or hutch that houses all of our bathroom essentials (rolled towels, apothecary jars filled with sponges and cotton swabs and bars of decorative soup). Who wouldn't want to feel like they were stepping into a spa every time they frequented the bathroom? And, while we love the knight in shiny armor, let's be honest, it's the spa that makes us big girls feel like princesses.

So, if you have the space and a piece of furniture that doesn't quite seem to have a place in your home, (preferably a piece that has shelves or drawers so it's also functional) consider using this piece in your bathroom. Or, add a chair in the corner or up against the tub to function as seating and a surface on which you can place the items you use when taking a bath. How attractive is a charming little chair stacked high with crisp, white towels?! Uhhh, I'd say a 10!

This lovely space boasts a bookcase, chair, and desk! Who would have ever thought to put a desk in the bathroom? But, it works!


Wait a second, is this a bathroom or a living room? With plenty of seating and a chandelier that looks like it could hang in your dining room - this bathroom makes you do a double take.

And, on to my personal favorite. A free standing tub; shined to perfection polished nickel tub filler; a sweet, little side table that's as functional as a nightstand; and the wow factor, a timeless hutch that most would confine to the living room.

I just love the little sofa used in this space, and the dressing table isn't too shabby either!

everywhere i look...purple!

Seriously, everywhere I look, I see purple. I was reading in one of my favorite decorating magazines last month, and a featured designer said, "every room needs some purple." So, if you're looking to spruce things up a bit, but you're not interested in painting your walls purple (and I don't blame you), try placing an arrangement of irises on your coffee table and/or adding a purple-hued throw to the sofa. It will make your room feel fresher and more current.

Who would have thought purple could look so charming!

in the mood

This isn't going to be much of a post. I just wanted to say that this mantle really gets me in the holiday spirit! So, I just thought I'd share.

well versed

I LOVE spaces that use books as a focal point. Books have so much character, so much charm. A well-filled bookshelf makes a room feel intelligent, inspired, sophisticated, creative, warm, etc., etc., etc. How often do you hear people say, "I want to curl up in front of a fire, with a cup of hot cocoa, and a good book."? Good books make us feel good, and they happen to look good too!

For the last 16 months, I've been heavily entrenched in an extensive home re-model. I ripped out an existing built-in (it was built to accomodate an old television) and replaced it with a bookshelf containing a whopping 24 shelves! That's alot of book, people! I had a ladder built and installed to give the unit a more "library-ish" feel. Here's what I've done so far. As you can see, I've got a lot of books to buy. I'll post more pictures after I get it done, or just more finished because I doubt I'll ever be done fiddling with the way I've got the shelves arranged.

**I'm having technical difficulties. For some reason my computer isn't retrieving the photos off my camera. I'll post photos as soon as I can.**

Design Tips:

- You can use a bookshelf as a focal wall behind a sofa and even headboard. It's ok if you block access to some of the shelves. In fact, that might be nice because it cuts down on the amount of shelves you have to fill.

- You can hang pictures on your bookshelves.

- Try to avoid over accessorizing your shelfs. If you've got no more than three books grouped together in between accessories, I suggest you buy more books and cut back on your accessories. Thin clusters of books scattered around a bookcase won't give you that rich, library feel.

- Stack books both vertically and horizontally. I'd suggest stacking your larger, coffee table-sized books horizontally to take up more space.

- Good accessories to use in a bookcase include: clocks, plates, ceramics, small decorative boxes, small statues/carvings, awards/trophies (pretty ones, of course!), picture frames, and all of the other little nic-nacs that you love!

Here are some photographs of bookshelves I find very visually stimulating. Enjoy!

big taste, small budget?

I use the same philosophy in design/decorating as I do when it comes to my wardrobe. Rule: Get basics that will last. For example, I buy good jeans. Yes, they're a little pricey, but they're worth every penny! When you've got a great pair of jeans on, you can get away with wearing a Forever21 top without looking like your whole outfit is from Forever21 (not to knock Forever21, but you know what I mean). For the most part, I splurge on my jeans, shoes (especially boots), and handbags. For every expensive top I buy, I probably buy 1, maybe 2 cheap tops. I'll never buy an expensive scarf. Why? Because it's easy to find cheap scarves that look expensive. I bought at least 10 pashmina+cashmere-blend scarves in Italy last summer for $15 a piece!

If it were up to me, and I could either buy a great sofa that would last for years or an entire living room set of furniture that would need to be replaced sooner rather than later...I would get the sofa. Great rooms evolve over time. Rooms that you love won't be filled with a bunch of things you bought all at once just to take up space but rather with the treasures you've collected over the years from different places you've been and different seasons of your life. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day.

So, if you can afford it, buy a nice sofa. Buy nice thow pillows and area rugs*. Buy a few nice accessories. Then mix in some less expensive accessories. Hit up T.J. Maxx, Tai Pan, Tuesday Morning, and iKea once a month or so to check out the inventory. Every now and then, you can find a diamond in the ruff at cubic zirconium prices! If you do this right, your entire room will look high end.

*I've noticed in numerous decorating magazines that even rooms with uber expensive furniture will be anchored by a jute rug. Jute rugs are suprisingly affordable and durable and are used in high end spaces all the time. So, if you can't afford that one-of-a-kind, hand tied, vegetable died, pakistani area rug, don't fret. You've got less expensive and still stylish options.

D.I.Y.

OK, for those of you brave enough to attempt hanging wallpaper on your own, here's what you'll need:

• A large table (or flat door or sheet of plywood on sawhorses)
• Stepladder or step-stool
• Yardstick or tape measurer, pencil, scissors
• String, chalk, weighted object for plumb line, or 4’ level
• Screwdriver (for removing switch plates & outlet covers)
• Plastic bucket, sponge, & clean-up rags
• Smoothing brush or Wallpaper Smoothie (see your local dealer)
• Paint roller & tray for adhesive (for unpasted paper only)
• Razor blade holder & good supply of single edge razor blades,
(or small razor knife with snap-off blades)
• 4-6” putty knife for preparing wall & cutting off excess wallpaper
• Seam roller (used lightly)
• Adhesive (for unpasted paper only)
• Premixed drywall patch (to repair damaged walls)

GOOD LUCK!!

p.s. My recommendation is to leave this to the professionals. :) It's harder than it looks.

wall + paper = major style

Wallpaper has definitely made a come back! Of course, it's no longer the pastel florals of the '80s - thank goodness! The prints and patterns are current and classic! And boy oh boy, do they make a statement. Wallpaper is better than ever, and yet, people are still reluctant to use it. With good reason though - it's a pain in the booty to remove, and chances are, the wallpaper you love today won't be "in" in 10 years. So, if you have some reservations, that's okay, I understand. I'm certainly not suggesting you wallpaper your home from top to bottom, but how much damage could wallpapering a closet do? Or, the powder room? Or, a laundry room? OK, if you're still on the fence, try lining your dresser drawers with a paper that makes you happy. I promise you, you'll smile every time you go to get a pair of socks. It's these little touches that put a skip in my step, and I'm confident it will do the same for you.

Here are 3 patterns by Ralph Lauren that make me happy.

"let there be light...fixtures"

I'm currently in the process of purchasing new lighting for my home. I've been vascillating for 6 months now on which direction to go. I've decided I want a pendant rather than a chandelier in my entryway, but I've had a devil of a time finding one that's to the scale I need for my space - they're all too narrow. Design Rule: When purchasing a light fixture that will hang in the center of a room and function as your primary statement piece, it's important to make sure it's the right size. So, here's the rule of thumb. Take the width of your room in feet and double that number, and then convert it to inches. If your room is 10 feet wide, then your light fixture should be no less than 20 inches in width. Does that make sense? I know us "right-brainers" don't really care about math, but we've all probably learned the hard way when it comes to making decisions off of incorrect measurements. Remember, measure twice, cut once, 'cause you only got one shot!

Here's what I may do in my entry. I like it because it's less formal than a chandelier.

Design Tip: Be sure to hang your fixtures low enough that they can be seen and appreciated. Obviously, you don't want anybody to hit their head, but you also don't want a fixture that hangs only a few inches, or, in some cases (depending on the height of your ceiling), only a few feet off the ceiling. The bottom tip or underside of a light hanging over a dining table should be roughly 3 to 4 feet above the table top.

This Candice Olson chandelier is a jewel and, even better, a steal of a deal! At only $300 it makes quite the statement! Hopefully, it doesn't look like a $300 chandelier. I think I may just have to order it and find out. I think it would look stunning in my dining room.

Word of Wisdom: When mixing and matching different lighting styles and finishes, be careful! If you don't trust your ability to get it right, ask someone. While I'm never a fan of the matchy-matchy look, I also know that grouping different pieces together in a space can end up looking hodge-podge - kind of like when every bedroom in the house has differnt carpet. (If that's the case in your home, please don't be offended.) Sometimes it's just better to be consistent. So, again, before you shell out the big bucks on lighting, if you're an amateur at this, ask someone who knows!

nightstand heaven

I love beautiful nightstands just about as much as anything (excluding the important things in life, of course - i.e. friends, family, etc...). People often fuss over getting the perfect bed and bedding only to skimp on the tables that flank the bed. A beautiful nightstand is like a great handbag that completes the outfit. Design Tip: There's no need to have matching nightstands. It's more fun to mix it up a bit! I love it when a bedroom has one hard-surfaced nightstand (wood, metal, plastic, etc.) and one that's softer, like a round table draped in a beautiful tablecloth that coordinates with your bedding. If you bought an entire bedroom suite and you're sick of the matchy-matchy look, swap out a nightstand. Leave your bigger, more expensive pieces as they are (bed, dresser, armoire, etc.) and go find a great side table that compliments your existing furniture. Also, get nightstands that are actually big enough to be functional - space permitting, of course. A nightstand only large enough to hold a plastic alarm clock and a single stack of books isn't very user-friendly. Budget-friendly Solution: Purchase or make an inexpensive round table top. It can be made from particle board, MDF, plastic, whatever. Then find something to act as a base - a stack of phone books, five gallon bucks stacked on top of each other, a cinder block, whatever. Then drape the makeshift table with a tablecloth or piece of fabric. For a more expensive look, double up on the material. Use a piece of felt or flannel underneath the tablecloth to give it a richer, more expensive feel.

Equally as fun are the little things that you put on top of and inside of the nightstand. Delicate lamps, a framed photo of a family member, beautiful books (and the paperback you're currently reading), little nic-nacs, a low and tightly bunched floral arrangement, a clock and so on. Here are just a few nightstands that make me pause.

I'm in the process of re-doing my bedroom and can't wait to adorn my nightstands with beautiful (and functional) things that represent me. And, when I do, you can be sure I'll brag...I mean blog about it.

blue & white delight

Call me old fashion, but I love blue and white! I can't seem to get enough of it! When it comes to color combinations, it's the ultimate classic (in my opinion). It's classic, and yet, contemporary. But then again, aren't all classics both contemporary and traditional - that's what makes them classic - they're then and now! Blue and white accessories are actually quite neutral as they go in almost any room and can stand up and stand out paired with almost any color or design element. Like I said, I can't get enough of this tried and true, time-tested classic. Blue & white, will you marry me?

Design Tip: As you can see from the pictures, blue and white accessories look lovely grouped together. So, if you have the opportunity, buy more than one piece, and add to your collection as you find pieces you like.

Three words: traditional, traditional, traditional (my personal favorite). This photograph was the inspiration for my entryway.
I'll post pics later.

shabby chic

A slightly more contemporary take on blue & white.