Happy Easter {Decorating}!

I love spring time, it's so beautiful outside with all the flowers and trees in bloom. Easter, in particular, is a holiday that is full of happy memories for me - egg hunts, new Sunday dresses, and family dinners.

This year is the first year I actually decorated for Easter. I like to keep things simple and clean, so I only did a few accessories on my "new" piano and, of course, I will be adding beautiful blooms to our kitchen table!

I found most of the decor from Target, like these ceramic bunnies and the burlap banner below. The small nest is from World Market and the larger nest is from Michaels. The pink bunny eggs are from TJ Maxx Homegoods.

Pinterest has so many cute ideas for egg and bunny garland, but when I saw these burlap bunnies - for $6 - I had to get them!

I found this blue egg bird nest from World Market and had the perfect home for it in this bell jar.

Happy Easter!

The Power of Accessorizing

I recently shopped for and installed accessories for a client who wanted their new 2 bedroom rental to feel more like a home. 

It's amazing what art, pillows and a few accessories will do for a space! Without painting or changing any furniture, and sticking to a budget under $2000, we achieved a Pottery Barn look for a fraction of the price! Here are some pictures of the finished product.

Enjoy!

Living Room

This sweet little succulent along with the porcelain vase is from Ikea and all together totaled under $5! The wood stemmed candle is from Target and the tray is from TJMaxx Homegoods.

{Before}

Dining Room

I love this mirror, especially with the combo of the sconces on each side! Mirror is from Hobby Lobby and sconces are from Kirkland's.

{Before}

Master Bedroom & Bathroom

*This print is available on my website Designs from Home.

  

{Before}

Guest Bathroom

This chrome shelving unit and glass jars are a beautiful way to display the necessities of the bathroom. 

{Before}

Happy New Year!

Hoping you had a Happy Holiday & wishing you a very Happy New Year!

A Christmas Bedroom - for Kids!

It's the holiday season!

I love this time of year. It's so fun to see the joy on the little ones faces when they see Christmas lights and decorate trees and, of course, get all those presents! This is the first year we got a big, real tree in our living room since we've had our sweet boy, who is now 3! So, I decided to put to use the small 12" tree that we had been using in our years in New York in E's room.

Once I set up the tree, I thought it would be cute to add a few more accents to his room from items we already had around the house, including some of his own toys - so here they are!

E's grandma got him his very favorite Angry Bird Ornaments & they were the perfect size for his very own tree!

We got this cute little train in Gettysburg and although it's not on a track circling the tree, it still adds a bit of nostalgia.

On the other nightstand I put one of E's red trucks carrying a Christmas tree along with some "reindeer." So cute, but I really can't take credit for this - I got this idea from Sixty-Fifth Avenue blog, as I did the tree with snow and animals in the glass cloche below.

Sixty Fifth Avenue blog used reindeer, but I saw these cute polar bears at Michaels and thought they'd be perfect for the winter wonderland on E's dresser.

I used extra batting I had lying around for the white snow and got the pine tree at Michaels.

Another detail for E's dresser: using blocks to create a "Christmas" tree. 

We made the reindeer feet last year from an idea I found on pinterest from Life In Motion blog.

E's sock monkey got a make-over with Santa's hat - so simple, yet E loves it!

And one last detail for the room - fresh pine tied to the foot of his bed. 

We trimmed the tree and I couldn't just throw out the branches! So here they are, looking so festive and smelling so wonderful.

Merry Christmas!

Bedroom Redesign

I recently designed a room that was once used by a teenage boy and needed to be updated into a mature, comfortable bedroom that could function for the now adult college student. I wanted to create a space that would also transition well to a guest bedroom later. The overall style of the house is Tuscan, with lots of reds, golds, and deep browns. I wanted this room to feel slightly more modern, but still flow with the feel of the house, so I opted for neutral creams, browns, golds and blues.

Floor Plan

Guest Bedroom

Since this room is in the basement, I decided to go with a light cream paint color on the walls and light linen drapery panels. The canvas art really helps to tie in the color scheme and I love the rich colors in it! 

This project had a budget under $2,000.00 so we found the bed and nightstands on craigslist! All of the bedding, the canvas art and the lamps are from TJMaxx Homegoods. (Have I mentioned that I love that store? You can find so many great deals there!)

The artwork above the bed is very unique to this particular client. We framed images of the city his son had lived in the past two years. I love this idea because it makes the space more personal and yet discreet at the same time - perfect for a future guest bedroom.

I found this great desk on sale at World Market and paired it with a leather side chair. The metal accents in the desk, lamps and accessories create a more masculine feel for the room while the linen draperies and paisley duvet add softness and comfort.

Color Trend 2013

Have you noticed a trend in colors for this year?

I've seen a lot of emerald green, whites, and light neutrals and according to examiner.com the colors this year will be 1. "bright & bold", 2. lots of white, and 3. earthy tones.

Image from lvdesigncenter.com.

Denverpost.com said this upcoming year will bring "blue with a touch of green." In the same article, Mark Woodman stated, "Blue will dominate the color movement for years ahead. It's stable, comfortable and well liked."

Image from ballarddesigns.com.

The "new" blue for this year will be warmer than in the past. Woodman also stated that, "Tropical, watery blues with a touch of green will dominate."

Image from ballarddesigns.com.

The paint company, Sherwin Williams announced their 2013 color of the year to be Aloe, a soft green-blue.

Sherwin Williams Paint Color SW6464 Aloe.

This color is so relaxing to me... and there's a good reason why! Blues and greens psychologically have a calming impact on a person. Jackie Jordan, a Color Marketing Group chair holder, said that these light colors are making their debut now because "it takes people back to the 50's, a time that was a little more carefree. The color is fresh, fun, optimistic and hopeful." (denverpost.com)

Image from ballarddesigns.com.

I love this fresh new palette with whites, light neutrals and splashes of breezy color!

Image from designsfromhome.webs.com.

Mesa Remodel - Kitchen

Here are the final photos from the Mesa Remodel for the first floor. You can find the family room photos here and the living room photos here.

The kitchen had already been upgraded with beautiful granite countertops and painted black cabinets. Accent lighting had been added beneath the upper cabinets and in the niches, which really made the kitchen stand out. All it needed was a few accessories. 

New construction in the southwest often includes niches to fill the space the vaulted ceilings have left behind. When accessorized right, these niches can bring the eye up and add interest to an otherwise dull space.

This kitchen happened to have four large niches.

One of the best things to think about when filling a niche is scale. Don't be afraid to use large objects and wall art, and when you have multiple niches to fill, keep it simple. Too much clutter will make it feel like the walls are coming in on you... but just enough will add the finishing touch.

Add variety too. I already had two iron pieces in the kitchen so opted for this bronze metal piece in the last niche. The other two niches simply have a large vase and some greenery. Not every niche needs to have artwork in it; just the focal points are fine.

A few useful accessories on the kitchen counters complete the room while keeping the look clean.

And whenever possible, add fresh flowers!