lovely colors

I loved this little vignette from Pieces. Black, yellow, white and grey are one of my favorite color combinations. 

E-decorating

I've been working on a few e-decorating projects and I wanted to share one that I just can't get enough of, a bedroom for another New York City girl. 

This is what the bedroom looks like now:

Obviously we are desperately needing color and energy in this space. The desk is being sold and the dresser will be moved to the other side of the bed where the mirror now stands.

When I came across this darling image recently (please help me remember where. I forgot the source and I know it was from one of you darling bloggers) I knew I wanted to use this as our inspiration. 
I love the vivid colors in this image and my client is a very fun and stylish girl who just radiates warm colors with her personality. Next stop, window treatments. 

I had come across these great brown and white striped panels a few weeks ago and I knew this would be perfect place to use them. The price on these panels can not be beat. 
I looked far and wide at pillows and I found a quite a few great options. In the end I decided on these silk pillows from World Market in the pink and orange colored version. I love that they are reversible and have an ethnic feel to them. And once again, a fabulous price. Even with the pillows, I still wanted to add another pop of color. When I was deciding on pillows I had been looking at quite a few ikat patterns so I decided to use some orange ikat fabric as a throw at the base of the bed. 

I knew I wanted to bring a little sophistication to bedroom as well. I opted for new hotel bedding with Brown trim. This is classic and balances out the feminine details of the pillows and other accents.

Buying a headboard would have broken our budget and making one would be a logistical challenge since this apartment is for another New York City Girl. I still wanted the effect of the headboard without the expense. To give a similar effect and make the head of the bed a focal point we decided to use a simple but interesting pattern to attract the eye.  This paper from Kate's Paperie will be modge podged onto 2 large canvases and be hung side by side. 

The closet sits on one side of the bed where the desk currently is. The desk is being sold which will leave this space vacant. My client is not interested in night stands or lamps since the bedroom is already a small space and she feels they would crowd her. We decided to use this wonderful Moroccan bench to make a little dressing area and give her a place to throw her clothes. 

We still wanted a few feminine touches to cozy up the space. I loved the whimsy of these daisy lanterns in the orange and pink. A bunch of these hung above the bed will give a chandelier effect and bring in a little personality.

The bare walls will be dressed up with an interesting feature of handbags (my client's love) hung on simple hooks from the hardware store hung staggered on the large wall opposite the bed, this way we are getting storage and art in one.

When I found this letterpress poster on etsy from Ole Rattlesnake, I was instantly smitten. The image is derived from vintage Malawi bingo cards that were used by to teach English. I love the images and the rustic element of the paper. This will be framed and dress the walls. 

I wanted to share this project to show you how a few simple changes can energize and refresh your space. This transformation only costs a few hundred dollars but will totally energize this space. 

If you are interested in working on an 

e-decorating project, please contact me for more information. I have very reasonable flat rates for this type of project and will work with you until we find a the perfect look for your space.

Shade Clothing

If you are not familiar with Shade Clothing then you are definitely missing out. They happen to be a great go to for stylish and affordable pieces. 

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Shade to participate in a style guide photo shoot to showcase how I (along with some other bloggers) would incorporate Shade Clothing items in to my wardrobe. If you want to check out the looks go here

Shade also has some more info about our looks on their blog. 

And there may just be a shade giveaway coming soon. 

Delta Gamma- Before & After

Remember a long long time ago when I promised you more pictures of the Delta Gamma house? As it turns out I am still waiting on some fabrics and such to come in. But I thought I could give you some glimpses into the dining space while we are waiting.

This is what the space looked like when I came in:

And this is what it looks like now:

We found old sorority scrapbooks hiding away in the basement. I thought these were the perfect opportunity to utilize some personal but cheap wall art and so we used these for a gallery wall behind the dining table. The budget didn't allow for a new dining set so I begged to paint the chairs but in the end you have to go with what the client wants and they preferred to keep them in the original wood tones. Still a beautiful set, but I like to imagine them white. 

I reupholstered the dining chairs in a durable outdoor fabric from Waverly called chippendale fretwork, a great match for the chippendale chairs. The chandelier had dated black shades which we simply swapped for creamy parchment shades which instantly lightened the space. The wall color in Benjamin Moore's Santorini Blue. 
This buffet sits opposite the dining table. I loved these mirrors and the pop of color that the ginger jars bring. Both the mirrors and the ginger jars were purchased at Home Goods.

Thank you!

In the tweeds awarded me the Honest Scrap award. 

I don't have time today to share 10 things with you but I promise I will revisit this! 

Thank you! 

books

I changed all the books on my bookshelf so the pages were facing out. 

I like it. I am sure no one notices the difference but me, and maybe you if you were to come visit. 

lovely colors

I picked up these pillows a couple of weeks ago for a master suite I am working on. In the end we decided to go with a more muted color palette so these went back to Anthropologie. 

I was sad to see them go. I love this color combo and the crewel work is beautiful. 

The good news is this print also comes in a rug and window treatments so maybe I will find another use for this gorgeous pattern. 

city girl kitchen-before + after

The kitchens in most New York City kitchens are small to say the least, which makes them hard navigate and hard to take pictures of. We focused our money in other parts of the apt. but we still wanted the place to look nice. Since the wood in the original chairs clashed with the dining table, we moved them into the entry area and went on the search for new dining chairs. Hana found a great vintage pair that needed a little TLC. Enter a coat of creamy white paint and a bold trellis pattern, the chairs took on a whole new life. These pictures aren't great but they give you an idea of how we added a little life to the space. 

Hana also made darling cafe curtains in Navy blue ticking but for some reason my image file wont open of them. We started a collection of blue chinoiserie plates that Hana can add to over time. This project is a perfect example of how a few changes can totally change the look and feel of the space. 

And for all of you who keep wondering, I'll do a breakdown of fabrics and sources for this apartment later this week. Stay tuned. 

Flash cards- the new magnetic poetry

After seeing these darling framed flash cards at the Sundance outlet my mind started spinning with ideas. Then when I saw these multiplication tables from sweetshorn vintage I was reminded of them. 

Think of all the sentences you could make with a set of flash cards. I'm sure we could all benefit from being reminded of our multiplication tables. And don't even get me started with the finds on ebay. 

I'm just here to tell you art can come from anywhere. 

In a city near you- Philadelphia

Getting back on board with this series I knew I had to start with something great. 

When I came across this lamp I knew it was it. Clean lines. Smart design. 

I want it. 

Buy it here

thrifty

Today I found the twin to the strange but interesting kitty seen in Ruthie Sommer's nursery for her daughter Eloise. I'm thinking maybe I should buy it and send it to her. I'm sure their little kitty would love some company. 

blue and pink

I am loving this fresh blue and pink combo from Lotus Blue design. I hope the little girl that lives in this room knows just how lucky she is. 

in Pieces

Susan and Perry from my absolute favorite beyond favorite store, Pieces just emailed me some gorgeous new shots they had taken of the store. I seriously just want to move right in. 

If you want to be inspired go take a look at their website. 

Interview

Sara and Danielle over at the wonderful blog Sweet Nothings asked me to participate in their monthly interview series. Head on over here to read the interview and spend some time browsing their blog. 

Thanks ladies!

also

Hana purchased this to die for pineapple lamp on ebay to replace the one currently on the console. We are still trying to decide about painting it. 

Any votes? 

is it or isn't it?

I got an inbox full of emails asking about this parsons style console. Although this piece is similar to the West Elm parsons table this piece is actually the Malm occasional table from ikea and I had Hana paint it to fit the decor and the budget. The price on the ikea console can't be beat and I actually like how the legs are solid panels instead of four separate legs. 

I actually have one of these in storage that I've had for ages and lost love for it but work  the piece in this project has totally revived my affections. I'm going to paint mine navy blue and add nailhead trim around the edges. Of course pictures will be shared when the project is complete. 

City Girl living room- in progress

As evidenced by the naked walls, this room is still very much in progress, but I thought I would show you the punch we've added so far. Here was the plan for the entry area:And here is the progress so far. The walls are still begging for art and we need new lamps but at least there is some color. All of this was accomplished with about $350 spent in the room so far.