Interior Design Decoration: 2009-03-22

Modern Home Office

Working from home is such a popular trend nowadays. Most people we know either work from home part time or full time. For us, we practically live in our home office. This is why we think it should be both nice and functional, with an emphasis on functional, as it is so important for getting our work done.

Here are some modern offices that we thought are really cool:

Source: Point Click Home

Here are some cool stuff from DWR for the office

Nest Eggs

This year I'm on a quest to change up my existing decorations for little to no money. I've had these little egg candle holders for years.

They're sweet, but I thought with the help of some styrofoam, moss and a hot glue gun they could become spectacular.

I just glued the moss around the foam to make it look like a little nest.

Then I took it one step further and plopped them on top of a candle holder.

My little nested eggs now get the attention they deserve among my other Easter decor.

Treasured Storage

I am elbow deep in a storage overhaul. Our office/computer room was originally a bedroom. It had a closet with one shelf and a rod---not the ideal set-up for storing office and craft supplies. Up until last week we used this make-shift system of metal shelves and plastic bins (currently sitting in the hall).

The shelves are so far apart that we (okay, I) would pile things one on top of another. It was hazardous to come near the closet, let alone open the doors and search for something. You think I'm kidding? When I asked one son to clean the room, he backed a chair up to the closet in effort to barricade anyone from getting close to opening the doors.
Finally I'd had enough and this closet moved to priority status on the to-do list. Here's what it looks like now.

I've been organizing the big supplies using my grocery boxes.

For the little things, I've decided to nix the plastic bins and use some of the treasures I've gathered while thrifting.
My office tags look pretty in this wire basket.

The school teacher in me HAD to buy this this vintage school tote when I saw it. Now my scissors look so pretty and organized.

My husband rolled his eyes when I brought home this restaurant condiment tray. But, it's perfect for organizing all those little office supplies.

I still have some work to do, but it's a lot more fun to organize with my thrift store treasures.

Designers to Watch-Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch

Have you ever read about someone's life, and say, man, that is one bitching life! We do. A lot of it is from fashion and design magazines. You know, the ones that are always about some pretty young thing who is, invariably, married to some hedge fund manager; has a pied-a-terre in Paris; a loft in New York; a country house in Connecticut?

Well, aside from reading these for fun, we also love it for inspirations as well. It's kinda like a break from the mundane of our everyday's life, right? Like, five minutes of fantasy before we get back to figuring out how to pay our mortage this month?

Which brings us to the topic of this blog--we were reading in W Magazine today about Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch as an emerging design team which we never heard of. Orignally started out as designers of movie sets, they are now a hot ticket in the design world. We just love their originality! What was interesting about them is that neither was trained in interior design. They just do what they love, and the rest just follows.

That's something to be inspired by, isn't it? Do what you love, and the rest will follow. Repeat that three times, will you?

Here is a picture of the couple from the NY Times. Read the article.

Here is a picture of their kitchen from New York Magazine.

To see more of their work, check out the web site or follow their blog here.

Trina Turk Fabrics for F. Schumacher

Designer collaborations are everywhere nowadays. You see Pierre Hardy designing shoes for the Gap, Alex McQueens for Target--all designed to bring high-end designs to the masses. Although we have to say, we're not that impressed. Has anyone seen the Vera Wang collection for Kohl? Cheap looks cheap, no matter what name you put on it.

For Schumacher though, the designer collaborations are quite successful. A good example would be the Kelly Wearstler fabric collection for Schumacher, especially the Imperial Trellis pattern. It sells like hot cakes. Come to think of it, it's the only pattern that seems to do well.

Trina Turk just did a collection of indoor/outdoor fabrics for F Schumacher that we thought is quite pretty. It has her signature of bright, bold colors and retro look.

Here are some samples of it. You can view the rest of the collection here.

This is a clever use of the fabric shown at the Pasadena Showcase House 2009.

Most patterns retail for $78-80/yard. You can get it for considerably less at our fabric store.

Pretty Fabrics from Thomas Paul for Duralee

We love Thomas Paul. Started out as a pillows line, Thomas Paul has now taken off like a rocket with a rug line with Chandra and recently, a licensed fabric collection with Duralee. His stuff is casual, colorful and reasonably-priced--a perfect combination when you want to brighten things up a bit without spending tons of money.

Here are some samples from the lines. You can see the rest of the book here.

Thomas Paul fabrics run about $50/yard retail, but you can get about 30-40% off the retail prices at our fabric store.

Read All About It

Oh My, Oh My!

There were Four Hundred and Seventy comments
on the giveaway!

Thanks so much for entering!
I'm going to find the three lucky winners the old fashioned way---
I'll be pulling them out of a hat.
The winners will be announced on Monday.

I have some exciting news!
I was interviewed by
Decor-Medley Blog.
I was asked some really
great questions.
Go here to read the interview.

Hoppy Hoilday

Don't you just love holiday decorating? It's so exciting to unpack items that you haven't seen for a year. As I pull out each decoration I try to think of a new way to display it. I want my home to look different than it did the previous year. I like the challenge of changing, improving, and doing something new using the same old decorations. There's no need to buy new things every year when you can make the old items appear new.

Here's a picture of my mantle at Easter last year.

This year I challenged myself to use pairs of items
in an asymmetrical display.
This is my Easter mantle decor today.

DON'T FORGET

Today is the LAST day to enter the giveaway.
Scroll down to Friday's post.
Remember Only One Comment and Only One Choice.

Toting A Design

Look at the beauty that
I've been enjoying all weekend!

A local grocery store sells these wonderful cardboard totes. It's their effort to reduce the use of plastic grocery bags. When I saw them I knew they would be coming home with me. I planned to use them for something other than my groceries. I thought they would make fabulous organizing/storage containers. I've always loved a good cardboard box! There was only one problem, how to hide the store's logo.

A little bit of pretty wrapping paper and some spray adhesive and now they look like a designer tote with a price tag of less than $1.50 each!

I must tell you a funny, yet humbling story. After taking the picture of this stack of totes, I left them sitting in my living room. You've read my blog so you have a good idea of what my living room looks like. I have layers of decorations! Yesterday my son had some friends from Russia come to visit. They sat there in a room filled with totes stacked neatly and collections and displays galore. After a while one of them asked my son, "Do you live in a store?" He chuckled and said, "No, my mom just likes to collect a lot of stuff."
Needless to say, I took time to appreciate and reflect upon my abundance, of not just decorations, but of home, freedom, and blessings.

Fresh Colors for Spring-Furniture from Bungalow 5

We saw Bungalow 5 at the New York show last February and we just loved it. The colors are so fresh and fun. The prices are reasonable too (under $500 for most pieces). They are just perfect for spring.

Here are some samples from the line. Most come in different color combinations.

You can see the rest at Bungalow 5 web site. If you need help with pricing or availability, please drop us a line.