Island Chic Master Makeover for under $1600!

I recently worked with a client originally from Florida who was desperate to update their "college feel" master bedroom to a retreat that reminded her of the beaches from home.  The trick was also complimenting the look to the trendy Uptown condo that they live in while being budget-conscious.  What we came up with was a hybrid of a glamorous master bedroom but with a beachy feel - something similar to what you might find in a chic island resort.  The best part was that everything you see here came under $1600, which includes my design fee!

BEFORE

The focal point of the room was the bed, which is why it was so important to create the Wow factor here.  We did this with a 5 foot-8 inch tall custom tufted upholstered headboard in a creamy linen fabric. 

Working with the blue paint already on the walls, I found updated but beachy fabrics to give a pop of color against the neutral headboard and ivory Pottery Barn linens.

The side table was a great find for $156 at Sleepy Poet Antique Mall with just a few touch ups of paint needed to get rid of the outdated gold trim and a little bronze spray paint to update the existing pulls.

BEFORE

The finishing touches were a bronze lamp from Big Lots for $35 with a Seagrass Lampshade from Ballard Designs.  The pearlized tile box was another antique find from Sleepy Poet as well as the turquoise Ball Jar "vase".  Some fresh hydrangeas complete the look that is glamorous island living 30 floors up in Uptown Charlotte.

Here's how we got this look for under $1600:
Prices below include design fee and sales tax

Custom Linen 5 foot-8 inch Tufted Headboard - $656
Pottery Barn 300 thread-count ivory duvet, shams, and bedskirt - $240
Two Custom Euro Pillows w/ removable covers - $218
One Custom Decorative Pillow w/ removable cover - $103
Antique Bedside Table with updated paint - $198
Bronze Lamp with Seagrass Lampshade - $98
Accessories - $54
TOTAL = $1567

3 Ruffled Burlap Christmas Trees for $27!

With all of the excitement over burlap this year, I came up with another holiday project using this inexpensive fabric.  Hobby Lobby has the best selection of colored burlap ($4 a yard) including the green used in this project, but Jo-Ann's Fabric also has a good selection for the same price (however I could not find the color green during my visit).  Hancock Fabrics also carries burlap in traditional natural colors and brown at $4 a yard. 

These burlap Christmas trees are easy to make, take little time (approximately 2 hours) and not a lot of money.  If you haven't already seen it, check out our ruffled burlap wreath project using red burlap posted a couple of weeks ago.

Materials:

1 Small 8 7/8" tall green Styrofoam cone - Hobby Lobby or Michaels for $4

1 Medium 11 7/8" tall green Styrofoam cone - $5

1 Large 17 7/8" tall green Styrofoam cone - $7

2 yards of green burlap - Hobby Lobby for $4/yard

Glue gun OR

1 Box of straight pins with pearl ends - Hobby Lobby or any fabric store for $3

Cut your of burlap into strips as directed below using this cutting method that I found online.  All of them should be 2 yards long.
Small tree - cut 4  2" strips
Medium tree - cut 5  2.5" strips
Large tree - cut 7  3" strips

Once you have cut your strips, find a "strand" of burlap in the middle of each strip and pull to gather (similar to the cutting method above) to form a ruffle.

With your 2" wide ruffles, fold the frayed ends under and secure at the top of the small cone with a glue gun or straight pin (I found that straight pins create less mess and are faster - plus if you use the pearl ended ones it resembles mini lights on the trees).

Continue wrapping the ruffle around the tree, pinning every couple of inches and sometimes twisting your ruffled strip to create fullness.  At the end of each ruffle strip, take the next ruffle, fold under the frayed edge and pin on top of the end of the first ruffle.  Continue in this fashion until you have reached the bottom of the tree - it should take all of your 4 ruffles.

Repeat these steps for the medium (2.5" strips) and large trees (3" strips).  For additional color or interest, you could pin miniature bows or jingle bells to the trees while you are pinning your ruffles.  These little trees are perfect as part of a tablescape for your holiday feast or an accent table decoration for the holidays!

See also Ruffled Burlap Wreath for 20!

SPLURGE vs STEAL - Where to Get Your Office Organized with Style

As more and more companies transition to "alternative work schedules", many of us are lucky enough to find themselves working from home these days.  I recently made the decision myself to leave a job where I was required to sit in a cubicle for 40-50 hours per week to the splendor of working out of my own home office.  Nothing is better than being in your own space that is perfectly organized and decorated just to your taste..........wait, your home office isn't exactly up to par?  (Mine isn't yet either - work in progress).  Well, have I got good news for you!

I was shopping at The Container Store yesterday for closet supplies (Before and After of master bedroom closet makeover to be posted soon!) and decided to check out their office supplies, as well.  Was I amazed at the sights, colors, and patterns before me - never have I seen such a vivid and fun display of paper sorters, boxes, file folders, pushpins, or magnets all in one place!

Here's the SPLURGE
The prices on these are not exactly cheap - anywhere from $5.99 to $12.99 for the paper boxes (yes, per box) and magazine files you see above.

In addition to their colored cardboard box assortment, you can also find the fiberboard multi-colored document storage stackers (above left) for $24.99 (again per box).  Their file folders are a reasonable splurge, especially for that visible file rack on top of your desk - $3.99-$5.99 for a package of 6.  (I figured I could use the inexpensive manila folders from Office Depot for the files that are tucked away in drawers.)

They also offer the Mighty Magnetic Strip for your reminders, phone numbers, or notes for $12.99 in the colors black, white or silver.  My favorite, however, was the Mini Magnetic Strip for $4.99 with their additional color options of blue, green, or pink.  If you need the extra space, who's to say you don't just use 2 of the Minis for their color appeal?

Now here's your STEAL  
If you're looking for something similar to perk up your workspace but don't want to pay those prices, I found my magazine files (white, black, green, orange or black/white stripe available) at Ikea for $3.99 for a pack of 2.  They also offer CD boxes ($3.99 for 2), DVD boxes ($5.99 for 2), or large file boxes ($9.99 for 2) in the same color collection.  Now I'm not sure how many of you buy CDs anymore (apparently they haven't caught onto iTunes in Sweden yet), but the box is great smaller size for other supplies.  Ikea has a large selection of other inexpensive office accessories and can help anyone on a budget get organized with style. 

Kasset Magazine File

Kasset CD/Miscellaneous Storage



Now for the actual organization.....here's a great article with 12 steps to getting and keeping your desk organized.  I'll be posting pictures soon of my home office with my Ikea and Container Store finds when it's ready for viewing.....stay tuned! 

Ruffled Burlap Wreath for $20!

After coming home from the Southern Christmas Show, all of the new burlap decorations inspired me to try out making my own wreath in this unlikely holiday decor fabric.  I managed to find quite a few crafty folks out there with the same idea, and quickly figured out how to make one of these for my front door!  All is takes is about $20 in materials and 2 hours of your time.  I found out a from a friend that, apparently, burlap is not easy to find, but Hobby Lobby has a great selection of burlap in multiple colors for only $4 a yard!

Materials:
18" Straw Wreath Form - Hobby Lobby or Michaels for $5 (or $3 with your 40% off coupon!)
3 yards of red burlap - Hobby Lobby for $4 a yard
Glue gun and one extra glue stick
Ribbon - Michaels or Hobby Lobby for $4 a roll
Straight Pins (to attach bow)

Cut 2 strips of burlap, each 3" wide by 3 yards long to wrap around your wreath.  Here is a link to a great burlap cutting method that I found online.  Wrap the two strips around your wreath, securing at the ends with your glue gun.

Next, cut 4 more strips of burlap, 3 1/2" wide each and 3 yards long.  Find a "strand" of burlap in the middle of each strip and pull to gather (similar to the cutting method above) and form a ruffle.

Arrange your ruffled strips like an "S" or a snake on the front of your wreath to create gathered ruffles.  Secure at each turn with your glue gun.



Once you have finished attaching your ruffles, (should take most of your 4 strips), you can make any sort of bow with your selected ribbon.  I used straight pins instead of glue to attach my bow to my wreath in case I decided to change out the ribbon in the future.  You can create a loop with your ribbon as a hanger and attach to any door, mirror, or a mantle with mounting tape (found at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.).  Enjoy!

Southern Christmas Show 2011 - Charlotte, NC

This was my first trip to this annual event, and I was amazed at the amount of people that flock to this Crafter's Bonanza.  The entire floor of the Charlotte Merchandise Mart seemed to be standing room only and after 3 hours of being jostled, nudged, or endless waiting to move down the aisles, my party and I came to the conclusion that we had seen enough.

Outside of the crowds, there were so many interesting booths of small homegrown businesses spanning from Ohio to Georgia.  You could find anything from homemade fudge to 3' tall Collegiate Plastic Santas (painted in your favorite team's colors, of course!) for your front yard.  I was somewhat disappointed in the amount of home decor items, but I did find a few things notable for holiday decorating that I thought were worth sharing.


Color Forecast 2012

Whites and neutrals have been an overwhelming theme in interior design in the past couple of years, but I'm here to tell you.....COLOR is back!  I don't know about you, but I'm breathing a sigh of relief - the thought of a white sofa, my toddler, and my dog just don't mix!  Below is a Sherwin-Williams' color wheel and descriptions of the four color families that will be making an impact in home design in 2012.

RED

eclectic dining room design

The color red is know to stimulate appetite and conversations, hence why we have seen this color featured in so many dining rooms.  Red as a fashion statement has not been around since the '80's (remember the red lipstick and nail polish that our mothers wore?), but it's making a resurgence in rusty and coral tones and velvety purples.  Robert Allen for Calico Corners just debuted their "Scarlet Collection" which, you guessed it, features all shades of red.  Dramatic ways to feature this reborn color is shown by having one strong statement in red surrounded by neutrals or white.

BLUE

traditional bathroom design by other metros media and blogs Centsational Girl

The whole "Green" movement has given new life to the color blue with the recent focus on preserving our oceans. The new term "Blue Economy" refers to the concept of aligning current production schemes and securing materials similar to how nature does in order to improve natural ecosystems and the quality of life.  Also the refocus on American-made products and reduction of the American workforce has led to nostalgia of the American laborer of the past in denim blues.  Watery blues and darker denim hues will be prevalent based on these two new movements.  House Beautiful just dedicated an entire issue showcasing 350 ways to decorate in Blue with fresh and inviting spaces in this classic hue.


GREEN

contemporary family room design by atlanta interior designer Cristi Holcombe

The "Green" movement has been picking up momentum as does the color itself.  All shades of green were on the Fall fashion runways from olives to teals to emeralds.  The teals will continue to remain important in interior design, but with less of a muted feel and brighter than in recent years.  There is a movement away from the yellowy greens of past (how many of you have a sage something from Pottery Barn?  Me!) and into the rich Emerald greens.  As the color and the movement pick up speed, you'll see more of those miniature terrariums as home accents, which achieves the essence of both the color and the movement!

NEUTRALS

contemporary living room design by toronto interior designer Jennifer Brouwer (Jennifer Brouwer Design)

Neutrals are taking more of a backseat in 2012 versus recent years, but all good designers know that you will always need them - it's just a matter of reinventing them to make these base colors seem fresh!  The cool grey neutrals that recently gained popularity are still important, but now are being paired with warm golds for that fresh look.  Linen is still a key fabric as part of this story, but with pops of gold popping up more and more in recent months.  A great way to update a neutral color palette is to add fun gold or yellow accents to your decor as shown in the picture above!


Source:  Sherwin-Williams "Colormix 2012" - November 9, 2011