A View Of Spring

Can you believe that the weatherman is predicting snow showers over the next few days?!? I'm tired of seeing a dreary view out my window!
So I gathered all my pretty clear vases and lined my kitchen window sill. I added moss and faux bulbs.
Then, just for fun, and a punch of color, I added a vibrant red vase with a real flower. Now, when I look out my window, there is a view of spring.You could use real bulbs (even the dollar store sells them right now). If you're too impatient to wait for them to grow, make paper leaves and glue them onto the bulb. Or substitute speckled blue &/or brown eggs for your view of Spring.

Unique Upholstery from Haute House

We think it's fun to get something funky sometime, whether it's clothes or furnishings. You know, something that says we are cool; we are hip; we know what's up!

You can do that with furniture. We like having one or two statement pieces that are a bit unusual, a bit out of the ordinary. It's like wearing a pair of killer shoes with a conservative outfit. It shows people that you got style!

Here's a line we found in Las Vegas that makes really fun, really cool furniture. It's called Haute House and it is based out of Los Angeles.

A sample of their products are shown here. If you need help with it, drop us a line, as the company does not sell to the consumer directly.

This banquet has a very high back. It's awesome as a center piece. Can you just see it in a very hip boutique hotel?



Love this chaise. It's very clean-lined & modern.

This is an unique twist on a standard slipper chair.

Isn't this bed awesome?
How about this boudoir-ish sofa?


Pull Up A Chair

I found these little chairs at the thrift store.
Did I need more chairs?
No.
But how could I resist that spring green color?
And the nail head trim?
And their sturdy construction? And then there was the price.
Seven dollars a piece!
So they came home with me and sat in storage for about a month until I could figure out where to put them, and how I wanted to remake them. The blond wood finish just wasn't for me.
I cleaned and cleaned and gave the wood a good sanding and then cleaned some more. Then I pulled out a mistint color from my collection. It's dark brown with a hint of green. A couple of paint coats later, some sanding, and some more cleaning and now I'm very happy with the way they look.
I placed them on each side of my old dresser in the living room. They'll come in handy for extra seating. But until then, they look very pretty, each holding a framed fern botanical.
If you have a thrift store treasure you want to show off, join in Leigh's Thrifty Thursday.

Happy Happenstances

Don't you just love it when your home design just falls into place without much thought? Over the past several weeks I've been lucky enough to pick up a small library of home decor books at the thrift store, one or two at a time. (A girl needs all the inspiration she can find for two to three dollars a book, right?) I enjoy looking through my books and magazines in the comfort of my sun-filled living room, and so I'll often have a stack lying around.
A month or so ago I found this big beautiful metal basket for three dollars at the thrift store. I brought it home and just dropped it off onto the door/coffee table. It looked so beautiful there that that became it's home. One day, in an effort to tidy up, I threw my stack of books into the basket and plopped the one that I had been reading onto the stack. When I walked back into the room, I saw my happy happenstance. The books looked beautiful in the basket, especially with the open one on top. It was as if I had purposely displayed a photo gallery right on top of my table. In these dreary days of the remnants of winter, it's nice to see beautiful photos of spring displayed in such a random sort of way. It's just a little something that makes me smile.
Then there was another happenstance. A few weeks ago I was looking through my paint decks. I had them spread out on the door table when something caught my eye. I have had several of you ask me the paint color of my vibrant green table and up until that moment I have had to reply that I didn't know, because it was a mistint that I'd purchased from the home improvement store.
But there, staring back at me was the answer inquiring minds wanted to know! In my free little Fall '08 paint deck from PB was the color of my table. It's BM jalepeno pepper. . .well, because my table has an added layer of glaze, I suppose the correct answer is actually "aged jalepeno pepper."

Hooray for happy happenstances!

Home Tours from the LA Times

The LA Times has some beautiful home tours that you might want to check out. It's a great source of inspiration!

Shown here is the Greystone show house. To see more homes, check out the Home & Garden Section.




Living Without Regret

Recently a friend of mine told me that her silver collection stays behind closed doors because it's too tarnished. I replied, "I love the look of tarnished silver!" I really do. I often love the character and charm that imperfections give to things. . . and people, for that matter.
That conversation got me thinking. Why do we rob ourselves of happiness just because things aren't as perfect as we think they should be. And why do we put off enjoying things because "it has to be just right." I know that I am guilty of this and it's something that I am trying very hard to change. My neighbor, who has terminal cancer, wisely advised me, "It's not the things you've done, but the things you haven't done in your life, that you regret the most."My husband came home the other day to report that the business next to his was selling off clothing items that belonged to a man who had recently passed away. He said that there were literally hundreds of items that belonged to this man that still had the price tag on them. It made me wonder why this poor soul kept all of those really nice, expensive things tucked away. I felt so sad that he never took the opportunity to find happiness in actually using the things he owned.
I'm hoping that when my friend sees my display of tarnished silver, she'll be inspired to go home and enjoy hers, polished or not.
I've decided to take a good look at my life. What am I doing, or not doing, that is keeping me from enjoying my life to it's fullest? I want to start living my life with no regrets.

Los Angeles vs New York

March in New York



Source: NY Times

March in Los Angeles



Source: LA Times

Nuff said!

Artworks from Art & Frame Source

We find it very hard to find good quality artwork, don't you? Either they are really chintzy or really expensive. There is really nothing in between that you can buy locally.

Our opinion on art is kinda like our opinion on wine, if we like it then that's good enough for us. We are no snob, that's for sure.

Here is an artwork line that we like. They are made with commercial quality so they look very upscale and high-end. They're reasonable too. The price range from $400-1000 depending on the piece and size.

We haven't put them up on the site yet as there are SO many, it's just taking so much time. You can view the complete collection here. Note that most of these look way better in person than they do on the web. The pictures are not so hot...

If you like any of the pieces, drop us a line and we'll get you the pricing information.

Here's a sample offering of the line:







Designer Tricks

When you look through home decor books and magazines, you've probably noticed some tricks that designers consistently use when staging a room or vingette.
Let's have a discussion on
"Designer Tricks."
Gather a Grouping Groupings and collections are generally gathered over time and because of that, they give a home the feeling of age. They fascinate the eye and tell a story of the people who live in the home. Take a walk around your house and gather up objects that are alike. Group those objects together for more impact. Each framed burlap design certainly looks great on it's own, but when displayed together they have the appeal of a collection and more design impact.
Layer It On Layers really give a display character and charm. In this display there a several layers. There are layers of frames, of candles, and of books.Lighten Things Up When a lamp is turned on, even during the day, it gives warmth to a room. Lamp light is more warm and relaxing than harsh overhead lighting. Scatter lamps throughout your home. Try to add small lamps in unexpected places, like bookshelves, bathrooms, and kitchen counters, for an added touch of coziness.
Candles give that same warmth, even when they're not lit. Some designers say that you MUST burn your candles, if only to burn the wick. I think it's a personal preference. Sometimes I like the look of a fresh, unburned candle. It's your home, YOU make the rules.
Nurture Nature Flowers, plants, grasses, even fruits and vegies help to bring LIFE into a room. Next time you browse through a home decor catalog, notice how many pages include an element of nature. If you don't have the time or energy to take care of the real thing, then go for faux. Just make sure that the faux nature looks as good as the real deal.Book It Every room and display looks more inviting with books or magazines. It's that design element that says, "Slow down, relax, and sit a while." Pile your books and magazines in pretty stacks. Use them to give a display lift and height. You likely already have several books and magazines, so you can incorporate this designer trick into your home without even spending any money. Don't underestimate the impact that a stack of reading material can have in your room.Repeat That When a design element repeats itself it has more interest and ties the entire look together. Notice how there are several elements that are repeated. The burlap in the frames is repeated around the candles. There is a repetition of frames, candles, and mirrors. Even the letter A is repeated.

Okay, our design discussion has concluded.
Your assignment is to incorporate one, or several,
of these design elements into your home.

Now, get up out of your chair and do your homework.
Oh, there's one design element we didn't discuss.
Have Fun
making your house a home!

Winner of February Give-Away

We are pleased to announce the winner of the February give away! It is Kelly of Design Ties from Ottawa, Canada. Congratulations Kelly.

Thank you everyone for participating. Your comments meant a lot to us and we enjoyed reading them greatly.

We'll be announcing the March giveaway soon....