Anthropologie has the most creative displays to get ideas off of. When I’m able to go I spend more time looking at how they display their items than I do actually shopping for those items. Here’s what I found… 1. This eclectic mix could work in any dining room. It has a casual feel to it but can still display your “nice things.” I love how the various dishes supply the color. 2. This is one colorful sofa. It is not my typical neutral but I loved the color. The open bookcase in the back is a fun display of collections, books, etc. What if your sofa was along a wall and this behind it. You would have two or three shelves behind the back of your sofa to hide things that don’t need to be out in the open (wifi router, phone chargers, etc…) The top shelves could be…
Read MoreMy living room has recently felt like it was missing something. The sofa is facing the television unit with its back to our large window. A chair and ottoman are in the corner next to the television and facing the sofa. There are two secretary desks near the fireplace and a large basket for our toy overflow in the corner. When we have people over I always feel like the seating arrangement is missing a chair. We usually end up moving my husbands’ desk chair close to the sofa so that we can all actually have conversations. I knew that one more chair would do the trick. I had purchased my sofa, chair and ottoman and desk chair all in one place and all in one day. I wasn’t exactly sure how to bring a new piece in without having it scream “Hello, I’m the new piece.” My other pieces…
Read MoreI had a great plan last week. I was looking for some toy storage for the large toy closet in the basement… I’m showing you the nice shot with the doors closed first since when you open them this is what greets you… The closet is the main toy storage for our house. The kids do have toy storage in their rooms as well as a bin in the living room. Eventually though, everything makes its’ way back down here. The closet is 80 inches wide with three adjustable shelves and enough room at the bottom for some large bins and items. The work on this closet has not begun yet. I’m still figuring out what I want to do but for now I’ve set up smaller bins to group similar items together. The bins at the bottom worked for a while but aren’t doing the job for me anymore.…
Read MoreI’m a list person. Random little pieces of paper can be found anywhere from my desk, to the kitchen counters, to my pockets. My lists are for items I need to do on any certain day, projects I’m working on, supplies for home. Like I said, random and all over the place. I needed a better system for my lists so I began first of all by putting my phone to better use. I use Notes on my iPhone and now have a running Target list, a miscellaneous list for school supplies, clothing needs for the kids, etc. That left me my work list. I need that one to be in front of me since I’m constantly thinking of projects and tweaking old ones. I went shopping in my basement and came across this old picture frame. I took the frame apart and spray painted the glass with chalkboard paint.…
Read MoreMy porch had one itty bitty light next to the door. It was tired, it was old and it didn’t give off much light. I gave it a little makeover instead of buying a new one and kept my eyes open for some lighting solutions for the rest of the room. I had an eating area with a bisto table that needed some light as well as an accent table in the other corner. This was more of a sitting area. I didn’t want to take up any table space with a lamp. Target scored again when I came across this lamp… I’m typically not a very impulsive buyer when it comes to larger items. I grabbed two of these within two seconds of seeing them. I immediately had plans to either put them in my bedroom above my bedside tables or on the porch. The porch won. The corners…
Read MoreI’ve been looking at banquettes and upholstered benches a bit too much lately. I’m planning on some minor changes in my kitchen having to do with the kitchen table and seating. I love the added storage available with something like this, not too mention any excuse to add some more fabric into a space! I’m not sure if a banquette or something along these lines is in my future but you never know… Enjoy! charlie barnett associates brandon architects, inc. samantha pynn tobi fairley ballard designs decorpad ballard designs nest egg style at home
Read MoreI’m going to show you my easy method for pillow covers, the envelope method. They take me less than 15 minutes to make but hold up so well. With a total of four rows of seams it is a quick and easy solution for when you want a change. I’ve used in many times in my living room, guest room, kids bedrooms and now my porch. No measuring tape is used whatsoever during this entire process. I prefer the “eyeball” method. I started by purchasing pillow forms from Joann Fabrics and figuring out my arrangement. I didn’t want the pillows to take over the sofa or chair, just to add some comfort along the back. I had a variety of sizes to add support as well as some color when all is said and done. I took my gorgeous fabric from Tonic Living and first cut a piece that was…
Read MoreI received a lot of questions and comments over the summer asking me how I get things done with three kids running around. It’s all a blur but here’s a hint… My 10 year old is great with a camera when I have too much paint on my hands or when I’m drilling. My 7 year old is an expert at holding screws and playing with a tape measure. My 4 year old likes to experiment with the leftover supplies. That is my best answer.
Read MoreThe furniture I have on my porch are two mismatched pieces of wicker. Both are Craiglist finds which saved me a bundle, I only paid $65 for both pieces. The sofa just required some good cleaning while the chair needed a haircut. The previous owners must have had a cat who had a field day with the chair arms. I snipped off any stray pieces of wicker and added some lysol to get any smells out. There was still something missing though. The sofa and chair needed to be brought together somehow. From the beginning of my search I knew that I only wanted to purchase furniture that would match. I tried to find two pieces with the same tones in them. I bought the sofa first and only looked for a chair with similar tones afterward. The chair I bought about a month after the sofa. Sitting together in…
Read MoreWhile figuring out how to finish the top of my table I decided to use some leftover pieces as samples. Each shelf came with small brackets that were supposed to be used to mount the shelf to the wall. I used each one to test what method I would be using, stain or paint. I had some choices at home already that I planned on using somehow. White wash pickling stain which I had used on my barn door, gray stain, and gray paint. I ended up going with option number three, gray paint which I brushed on and then immediately wiped off. It added just enough coverage to be able to see the color as well as the wood grain underneath. Making samples are the way to go, especially when you can use the same material as your finished piece. I was able to play around with it and…
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