Thursday, July 29, 2010
Spice Up Your Dining Room
Not ready to commit to painting your whole dining room in this season’s hottest colors? An easy (and non-committal) way to add a splash of bright colors is through your dinner napkins and linens. We’ve scouted out some beautiful and colorful examples for you.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Lemon Fresh Microwave
A quick and easy way to clean your microwave:
Pour about 2cups of water into a microwave safe bowl. Squeeze the juice form half a lemon into the bowl and place the lemon half in the bowl with the mixture. Microwave on high for 5 to 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes with the door closed. Wipe inside of the microwave clean with a dish cloth or paper towel. Your microwave will be lemon fresh!
Pour about 2cups of water into a microwave safe bowl. Squeeze the juice form half a lemon into the bowl and place the lemon half in the bowl with the mixture. Microwave on high for 5 to 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes with the door closed. Wipe inside of the microwave clean with a dish cloth or paper towel. Your microwave will be lemon fresh!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Buddy Hawkins Inspirational Photography
This week my good friend Buddy Hawkins sent me this fabulous photograph. He is so talented that I wanted to share his work with all of you. You can check out his website to see his extensive gallery. Many of his photographs are for sale on his website as cards and prints. So go take a look at his work and see something beautiful to brighten your day! http://buddyhawkins-photography.com/
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Biasca Iced Tea Jug
A nice glass of tea in the evenings can be quite relaxing and if you are anything like me, you enjoy nothing more than a bit of relaxation. I came across this tea jug that I thought was worth sharing.
The Biasca Iced Tea Jug is available at the Food Network Store for only $40. The Biasca jug is made of heat-resistant, ultra-light borosilicate glass and is dishwasher safe. The Biasca also features a filter that is integrated into the lid designed to keep the green tea leaves in the jug when pouring tea. The Biasca can also be used to create refreshing infused water and other infused drinks. (http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/ProductDetail.aspx?R=211594&ccaid=FNFROOG211594)For those of us who are interested in learning more about tea I also came across an extremely helpful website. Adagio Teas (http://www,adagio.com/) has information about all different types of teas as well as an online store where you can buy teas and tea accessories. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Decorative Wine Racks
On occasion we have been known to recommend local wines to our readers. Today we want to recommend some places to store that wine. While doing some web research this week I came across some really unique wine racks and thought that I would share them with you today.
$150 at Opulent Items
http://www.opulentitems.com/O-Wine-Rack_p_715.html?gdftrk=gdfV2921_a_7c119_a_7c307_a_7cIW50463
$99 at Target
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/191-4807595-6257105?asin=B001EM6IB8&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B001EM6IB8&CPNG=home&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001
$63 at Bed Bath Store
http://www.bedbathstore.com/ciwawiboho.html?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=comparisonshopping
$99 at Trillora.com
http://www.trillora.com/sei-hz1010.html?cmp=froogle
$99 at Walmart
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Privilege-Floor-Wine-Rack-Set-of-2/14209631?sourceid=1500000000000003260370&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=14209631
$34 at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Cello-Bottle-Wine-Perfect-Musician/dp/B001AH5K2U
$35 at JC Penny
http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=58219&CatID=58219&Grptyp=PRD&ItemId=18b5ee7&cm_mmc=ShoppingFeed-_-Google-_-Home%20Decor-_-Studio%20For%20JCP%20Home%20Honeycomb%20Wine%20Rack%20by%20studio%20%20Brown
$20 at Target
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/191-4807595-6257105?asin=B00272OL7W&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B00272OL7W&CPNG=home&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001
$25 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14903470
$155 at 2Modern
http://2modern.com/designer/Gus/Gus-Modern-Acrylic-Wine-Rack
$150 at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Table-Style-Modern-Decorative-Spiral-Wine/dp/B002X75ZTO
$150 at Opulent Items
http://www.opulentitems.com/O-Wine-Rack_p_715.html?gdftrk=gdfV2921_a_7c119_a_7c307_a_7cIW50463
$99 at Target
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/191-4807595-6257105?asin=B001EM6IB8&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B001EM6IB8&CPNG=home&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001
$63 at Bed Bath Store
http://www.bedbathstore.com/ciwawiboho.html?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=comparisonshopping
$99 at Trillora.com
http://www.trillora.com/sei-hz1010.html?cmp=froogle
$99 at Walmart
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Privilege-Floor-Wine-Rack-Set-of-2/14209631?sourceid=1500000000000003260370&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=14209631
$34 at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Cello-Bottle-Wine-Perfect-Musician/dp/B001AH5K2U
$35 at JC Penny
http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=58219&CatID=58219&Grptyp=PRD&ItemId=18b5ee7&cm_mmc=ShoppingFeed-_-Google-_-Home%20Decor-_-Studio%20For%20JCP%20Home%20Honeycomb%20Wine%20Rack%20by%20studio%20%20Brown
$20 at Target
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/191-4807595-6257105?asin=B00272OL7W&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B00272OL7W&CPNG=home&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001
$25 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14903470
$155 at 2Modern
http://2modern.com/designer/Gus/Gus-Modern-Acrylic-Wine-Rack
$150 at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Table-Style-Modern-Decorative-Spiral-Wine/dp/B002X75ZTO
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Ceiling (the most forgotten surface in a room)
For the past seven years I have been convincing clients to paint their ceiling something other than white. In my opinion, unless the walls are white, by leaving the ceiling white it looks forgotten. It particularly looks out of place when putting richer colors on the wall, since it is too stark of a contrast. I have slowly seen more and more Designers including the ceiling as an important part of the over-all room design. In this month’s House Beautiful there is a quote by Jaime Drake: “The ceiling is the most overlooked and underused opportunity in decorating.”
Clients fear that by painting the ceiling the room will feel too closed in. Actually, I have found the opposite to be true. By painting the ceiling a darker color it actually draws your eye up and allows the room to feel more expansive. I especially like to go with a dark ceiling if the ceilings are 11’ or higher.
I opt for painting the ceiling the same color as the walls if there are a lot of angles between the walls and the ceiling. This softens the edges and finishes everything off nicely.
If the budget allows, doing ceilings in wood, adding beams, faux finish stencil designs, ceiling murals or mosaic tile are all beautiful ways to draw attention to the ceiling. Could the focal point of the room be the ceiling? Absolutely!
Clients fear that by painting the ceiling the room will feel too closed in. Actually, I have found the opposite to be true. By painting the ceiling a darker color it actually draws your eye up and allows the room to feel more expansive. I especially like to go with a dark ceiling if the ceilings are 11’ or higher.
I opt for painting the ceiling the same color as the walls if there are a lot of angles between the walls and the ceiling. This softens the edges and finishes everything off nicely.
If the budget allows, doing ceilings in wood, adding beams, faux finish stencil designs, ceiling murals or mosaic tile are all beautiful ways to draw attention to the ceiling. Could the focal point of the room be the ceiling? Absolutely!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Purple Decorating Ideas
I told you a couple of months ago about how purple is becoming a hot color to use in your home. I gave you some tips and told you what colors compliment purples. Today I want share with you some ideas on how and where to use purple in your home. Let’s get inspired!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Guidelines for Purchasing Bar Stools
I was working with my client’s, the Gordon’s, here recently. They purchased bar stools through our firm for the bar area off of their family room. As we discussed measurements, fabrics, etc., it occurred to me that it might be helpful to post some guidelines for purchasing bar stools on our blog:
Height: The standard rule in the industry is to allow 10-13 inches between the bar stool seat and the bottom of the bar or pub table. This will leave plenty of room for your legs.
Standard Heights: Bar stool height is commonly 29-31 inches from the floor to the seat. Pair this with a 41-43 inch bar or table height A counter stool is commonly 24-26 inches from the floor to the seat. Pair this stool with a 35-37 inch counter height
Width: The standard rule is 26-30 inches between the centers of each stool seat. This typically allows between 4 to 6 inches between each Stool
Counter Stool or Bar Stool: For counter heights above 38”, choose a barstool and for counter heights below 38” a counter stool will typically work.
Other things to consider when purchasing bar stools: Where will the stool go? In the case with my client we were putting the stools under a bar area against walls painted Chocolate Brown. I recommended a gold chenille fabric so the gold color would pop up against the brown wall. I also did not want for the frame to be too busy, since we had three bar stools in a fairly small area. If in doubt, less is typically more.
How often will the stools be used? We also used a fabric that will wear well since my clients have children. We are also going with a high back for back support. The seat cushion is boxed with a thicker foam than a slip seat to allow for more comfort.
Style? I tend to lean toward more simple designs if there are more than two in an area to keep the barstools from looking too busy. That may not always be the case, though, and so each space needs to be looked at to consider the frame style.
Height: The standard rule in the industry is to allow 10-13 inches between the bar stool seat and the bottom of the bar or pub table. This will leave plenty of room for your legs.
Standard Heights: Bar stool height is commonly 29-31 inches from the floor to the seat. Pair this with a 41-43 inch bar or table height A counter stool is commonly 24-26 inches from the floor to the seat. Pair this stool with a 35-37 inch counter height
Width: The standard rule is 26-30 inches between the centers of each stool seat. This typically allows between 4 to 6 inches between each Stool
Counter Stool or Bar Stool: For counter heights above 38”, choose a barstool and for counter heights below 38” a counter stool will typically work.
Other things to consider when purchasing bar stools: Where will the stool go? In the case with my client we were putting the stools under a bar area against walls painted Chocolate Brown. I recommended a gold chenille fabric so the gold color would pop up against the brown wall. I also did not want for the frame to be too busy, since we had three bar stools in a fairly small area. If in doubt, less is typically more.
How often will the stools be used? We also used a fabric that will wear well since my clients have children. We are also going with a high back for back support. The seat cushion is boxed with a thicker foam than a slip seat to allow for more comfort.
Style? I tend to lean toward more simple designs if there are more than two in an area to keep the barstools from looking too busy. That may not always be the case, though, and so each space needs to be looked at to consider the frame style.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Crazy for Color
I don’t know what it is lately, but I have been dying to do a project with bold color! Perhaps because it is summer and that brings with it bold beach towels, dinnerware, and swim suits. Maybe it is the trending in of orange and turquoise that is setting the mood or maybe it is that I am just plain happy!
The rich earth tones have been in for so long and don’t get me wrong they are beautiful. My house is currently the rich earth tones with reds and mossy greens in a traditional style. My next house is going to be bold and contemporary. I had bold and contemporary for years, but then I guess we all need a change.
I have also always been a fan of black and white. Paired with bold colors black and white is even better. Bold colors also work well with Chocolate.
I love this egg chair. See how the lemon yellow plays off of the black and white.
This art is great or something abstract with a lot of color is a nice choice when going bold.
Upholstered headboards are always fantastic, but look even better in color!
If anyone wants to venture outside of their comfort zone and let me help you pull together a room in full color, let me know. My husband will thank you, since it will suppress my need to step out and experiment in my own house. Turquoise, orange and chocolate anyone? Black and white with hot pink, lemon yellow or chartreuse?
The rich earth tones have been in for so long and don’t get me wrong they are beautiful. My house is currently the rich earth tones with reds and mossy greens in a traditional style. My next house is going to be bold and contemporary. I had bold and contemporary for years, but then I guess we all need a change.
I have also always been a fan of black and white. Paired with bold colors black and white is even better. Bold colors also work well with Chocolate.
I love this egg chair. See how the lemon yellow plays off of the black and white.
This art is great or something abstract with a lot of color is a nice choice when going bold.
Upholstered headboards are always fantastic, but look even better in color!
If anyone wants to venture outside of their comfort zone and let me help you pull together a room in full color, let me know. My husband will thank you, since it will suppress my need to step out and experiment in my own house. Turquoise, orange and chocolate anyone? Black and white with hot pink, lemon yellow or chartreuse?
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