Everything Design

We Have Moved!

2011-07-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

Please head over to my new EVERYTHING DESIGN web site and follow me there. I will not be updating this one anymore.

Thanks!

Valentines Decorations

2011-02-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

By some miracle I got my valentines decorations up BEFORE valentines this year. And... I made some new ones for this year.

This Love sign I made last year and I still like it!

This is my project for this year. I already had the branch up holding Christmas snowflakes. I thought it would be handy for year around decorations. I was looking for glitter heart ornaments but never found any so I thought I would make my own. I picked up some wooden hearts from Michaels for about $.10 each. I also picked up some Martha Stewart glitter in a variety of colors. I just glued and glittered lots of hearts then tied a ribbon to string. The large hearts are a heavyweight cardboard that I added some extra decoration to.

I like this big one but it was taking too long so I simplified the rest.

This one is green and gold like my favorite sports team.

I worked so hard only to get lazy on my last heart and didn't space it out correctly. So Happy Valentine Day to you too!

Check out the Heart cookies I made HERE.

Deal a Day Web Sites You Don't Want To Miss

2011-02-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

There's a trend for these "deal a day web sites". You have probably seen or used Groupon or Living Social. But did you know that there are some great sites for your home? Here are the ones that I check every day.

One Kings Lane

I got several Christmas gifts from this site and they were all great. The only problem can be shipping times- order here if you are not in a hurry. Prices are great but on the books- check amazon to make sure they don't have a sale. The furniture and accessories can be expensive but they are incredibly nice brands. I found some books, kids stuff, a computer case and some other treasures.

The Foundary. This is a newer site I found so I have not purchased anything yet. They have really cool stuff and wonderful treasures for home and you! Can't wait to find something here.

2M Collective is a version of 2 Modern. They are a new deal site and they have not added a lot of items yet but this is one we need to keep an eye on. The modern stuff on their web site is amazing so I am assuming the bargains will be as well.

Let me know what you think about these sites and if you do decide to join- please say that everythingdesign@hotmail.com recommended you. I would really appreciate it!

More Tillmans Roadhouse Love

2011-01-20T19:19:00.000-08:00

I posted HERE about my love for Tillmans Roadhouse. I still love it. So. Very. Much. and I have an update I want to share.

I decided that because I was so inspired by Tillmans it would be a good field trip for my Intro to Interior Design class. I wrote Tillmans in Fort Worth and told them I loved their restaurant and I wanted to bring my class. They happily agreed and even contacted the interior designer and asked him to come give us a tour.

Well, he did come give us a behind the scenes tour and some insight to his design decisions. We went before the restaurant opened for the day so the place was all ours. The students loved it and I so appreciated a designer taking time out of his schedule to give students a tour. Not everyone will do that.

Then the school paid for my class to eat lunch since the food presentation is a part of the experience. It was wonderful and I am so appreciative of their hospitality. They even picked up the tab for our smores dessert.

Go and show Tillmans some love. You won't regret it.

This is the outdoor dining area in Fort Worth. I want my back porch to look like this.

They have a beautiful table setting. That popcorn is served instead of bread and it's tossed with truffle oil and it is to die for. I don't even like popcorn. Amazing!

A few weeks ago we celebrated my dad's birthday at the Tillmans in Dallas. I had never been there for dinner and it is just as good as lunch except they do not have flavored lemonade at dinner.... or the grilled cheese. That was disappointing.

This is what I ate. It was good. If you go try the goat cheese tator tots. Then bring one back for me. They are too rich to eat the whole serving.

The party room in Fort Worth. I'll say it again. Someone have a party for me there. I'm sure I have done something worth celebrating.

Don't answer that.

Wall Stickey- Blik Wall Graphics

2011-01-16T20:09:00.000-08:00

Since our house doesn't have a playroom our living room can get a little flooded with toys. In order to keep it under control I created a corner where the toys could go- and C could play.

The red shelf was a lucky find. I hijacked it from my brother when he wasn't looking (no, seriously). It fits perfectly and can double as a bench (when not filled with toys). A group of carpet squares creates definition in the space and the most wonderful find- a big tree sticker.

The big blank wall was bugging me and I wanted something that would work for a play area but not look too juvenile in the living room. Check out Blik for some amazing wall stickers. I looked at a ton of wall stickers and this site had the coolest.

It was relatively easy to put up although I did ask a friend to come help. Thanks Dina!

Home Office Info.

2011-01-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

You can read this article. You might recognize one of the names... it's mine! Someone called the Art Institute and wanted one of the design instructors to comment for their article in Panache magazine. Since I am the only design instructor, I got interviewed. I made it clear that my experience is in commercial work and I don't deal with as many residential clients but she didn't care and said I had very good points. I believe this magazine has been out for a couple of weeks and I have recieved 0 (as in zero) calls, emails, texts, facebooks, or other sort of communication to tell me how much they learned from my insightful office commentary. I have also recieved 0 (as in zero) people begging me to create the perfect home office design for them. I'm sure all those messages were left at the school and I will get them when I get back. I will say that althought I have recieved 0 (still zero) calls, the author did a great job putting my comments in a way that made me sound somewhat intelligent- which I can promise you I did not on the phone.

Enjoy the article! Home Offices- Panache Magazine

Oh, how I love cone trees...

2010-11-22T13:03:00.001-08:00

I'm getting a bit of an early start on my Christmas decorating. Every year when I pull these out I am reminded how much I love them!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Holiday Decorating- Getting Started!

2010-11-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here's some inspiration for you!

David Stark Holiday Collection from west elm on Vimeo.

New floors

2010-07-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we got new floors (again). Stay tunes for more photos. I don't want to post much till I'm finished decorating but who knows when that will be.

-- Post From My iPhone

When I say navy I mean navy

2010-07-01T19:07:00.001-07:00

Can you see the dark navy walls and beautiful light fixture. It's located in my 3'x4' bathroom. I think even small spaces should look beautiful! Can't wait for the rest of the updates.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Inspired by Navy

2010-06-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm often inspired by West Elm. Shocker, I know. Well, I was pondering painting my bathroom navy- I love navy lately in my clothes so why not for my home? I pulled up the West Elm web site yesterday to check on the status of my light fixture (see previous post) and I saw this:

Well now I have to paint the room navy.

Just kidding. I wouldn't do it just because I saw this but I do love the way the navy looks with the white trim and dark wood. I'll post some pictures when I'm done.... and when I convince my husband that navy is the right choice.

Waiting on this...

2010-06-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

This light is currently on the way to my house. Yay! We are going to be putting it in the master bathroom... our first update to the master so this is big. It's from West Elm and it was on sale. Both great things. I'll have pictures when it's up!

My New Favorite Letter

2010-06-03T21:00:00.001-07:00

I made this for a little girls room. Can you tell? Lots of flowers and lots of glitter. Love it. I hope she likes it!

Flower fail

2010-05-11T11:05:00.001-07:00

Mike gave me some beautiful flowers for mothers day. I decided to split them up and display them around the house so I could enjoy them everywhere. The arrangement I came up with for the guest bathroom I am quite proud of.

I have had this vase forever and never used it for flowers.
Well I came in about an hour later and noticed a big puddle of water on the floor.

Did the toilet overflow?

No, apparently the vase isn't great at holding water. Maybe it's not a vase at all, I don't know.

I did what any normal person would do. I stuck a washcloth under the vase and called it fixed.

Yes, I have a milliion vases I could have transferred these flowers to but I didn't feel like doing that and none of my vases are as cool as this one.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fort Worth Home Tour

2010-05-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

My mom and I went on a home tour on Saturday in Fort Worth. We saw some beautiful historic homes and she blogged about it HERE. I have no pictures so you have to go there to check it out. We walked approximately a billion miles.... give or take a few. I am still sore on Monday. We earned 4 weight watchers activity points and if you are familiar with that system, they don't give those suckers out easily, you have to earn them... and we did!

Most of the homes we toured were in the craftsman or mission or prairie style. That is my moms favorite style and one of mine (believe it or not based on my love of modern). There are fantastic details in craftsman homes down to the very last accessory. Here's a couple of books you should check out if you want to learn more.

Hand lettering

2010-05-05T17:39:00.001-07:00

Anyone remember this from design school? My students needed a little "modivation" because their lettering wad not cutting it. I made them a sample. I'm not great at it, but trust me, its miles bette than what was turned in.
Thankfully their next assignment improved. Probably due to my amazing lettering!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fabric For Your Walls, Affordable Art

2010-05-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

I came across this picture today while I was researching for my class. I actually googled "fabric wallpaper" and got this picture as one of them. I am not sure what it has to do with fabric wallpaper but I'm grateful to add it to my collection of inspiration. For the record, I'm not googleing "fabric wallpaper" so that I can promote that as a finish in any way to my students. I'm not against fabric wallpaper but one must be careful with it's use. I don't think first year design students are ready for fabric wallpaper- I simply wanted to show them that fabric can go on the walls... under supervision of a trained professional designer. Sorry, I needed to clear that up. Here is the picture.

I don't know the source, if I looked hard enough I could probably figure it out, but who has time for that.

How cool is this? We could all do this. Needlepoint hoops and some fabric. Probably leftover or scrap fabric. I'm looking for a place in my home to do this. Then I need a bunch of fabric.

Just wanted to share. Hope you enjoy!

Knitted Pillows

2010-04-26T20:40:00.001-07:00

Knitted pillows are very popular right now, and they can be quite expensive. Luckily, I have a mom who knits. She made me this lovely knitted pillow for my living room.

I wanted something light to compliment my dark sofa.
She even added a little pop of color when the sewed on the buttons

It matches my fireplace. How very thoughtful.

Someday I will have a pic of it in the den but it's still "under construction".

-- Post From My iPhone

Birthday Party Ideas- It’s all about the Details

2010-04-25T21:21:00.001-07:00

My son just turned 1 and we had a little party to celebrate. I didn’t have a lot of time to plan or money to spend so I tried to focus on the details to make an impression.

Invitations were super easy. I designed them on photoshop then saved it as a .jpeg and downloaded it to shutterfly as a photo. Then I had it printed a bunch as a 5x7 photo- much cheaper than creating a photo card on those sites. Then, I mounted each of them on blue cardstock (so imagine the black line above is blue).

I found these letters at a store in McKinney but I’ve seen them other places. They come in a box full of the whole alphabet and I tied them one a piece of matching ribbon.

Food! For the food, I made cake balls and placed them on the end of skewers. I filled the vases with sugar and candy to place the cake balls. I used cardstock to wrap around the vases and used a monkey stamp to decorate the front. It was super fast and easy but helped tie the theme together. Let me re-phrase. The vases were super fast and easy, the cake balls were not. They need their own post… but not on a design blog… maybe a cooking blog. Until I get that started head over to Bakerella and see the ones she makes. Then you may never visit here again.

This was super easy. I created a label on photoshop and printed it on to sticky paper and wrapped each bottle. It really didn’t take long but was a nice detail.

More cardstock and monkey stamps. I used the vases to hold the snack food and a scoop to get the food out.

This was one of my favorite parts. I designed flags on photoshop, printed them on sticky paper, then folded them around toothpicks. I cut them out as rectangles then cut the angles off the ends after they had been wrapped around the toothpicks. It actually didn’t take as long as I thought it would!
Oh, I saved time by ~~forcing~~ delegating cupcake making to my sister. I recommend you try that for every party. You have to use your own sister though.

Photos are an easy (cheap) decoration but can have a big impact. These photos are displayed on a photo holder by Umbra. I like it because it holds a ton of photos (and because its a great centerpiece at home too!).

Since the food was nice but not amazing- I thought I would jazz it up with some fun drinks. Then, around every drink I put a tag that is similar in design to everything else. I mean- fancy drinks = fancy party. Right?

Chocolate dipped pretzels are another easy party snack with a big visual impact. These were supported by candy and when the pretzels were gone the candy didn’t last long either.
I hope I inspired you with a few ideas and if you have any questions about specifics just leave them in the comments or send me an email!

This week I’m linking up with:
Show and Share Day
Show Us What Your Working With Wednesday
Whatever Goes Wednesday
Show And Tell at Blue Cricket Design
Works For Me Wedndesday
Make It Yours Day
Get Your Craft On
DIY Project Parade
A Soft Place to Land
Made By You Mondays
It's So Very Creative
Motivate Me Monday
Made It Monday
Something I Whipped Up Monday
Craft School Sunday
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Stop by and check out all the crafty things everyone else is doing!

Bamboo Flooring- What are your options?

2010-04-22T11:02:00.001-07:00

We fought the concrete- and the concrete won. I posted HERE about our adventures in staining the concrete in the den ourselves. It was a great flooring for us for a couple of years. Then we had a baby, and that baby started crawling. We started noticing that his hands and feet would be covered in brown stuff. It was the floor coming up on him. He must have a weird skin composition because it didn’t come up on us or other babies but we didn’t want him to eat too much of the stuff- who know’s what’s in it. It was time to start exploring other options.
I knew I wanted bamboo flooring. It’s green (as in earth friendly- not actually GREEN), it’s beautiful, and not many other people have it. Qualities I was looking for in a flooring.
Side note: here’s why it’s Green
Bamboo flooring Grown in Southeast China, bamboo is a fast growing grass that requires no pesticides or fertilizers. It generates without replanting. Its a low-energy naturally renewable resource and offers ecological diversity as a sustainable resource. It only takes 3 to 4 years for bamboo to mature. Bamboo is super strong, durable and highly versatile as building material, perfect for both commercial and residential uses
Here is what you probably think of when you hear Bamboo Flooring.

Light in color, distinctive “markings” every few inches, thin strips. This is a horizontal natural bamboo. Great product- it’s hard and will hold up fine for you. It’s not for everyone though. Some people want a traditional wood and they won’t be happy with bamboo no matter what.
Here’s another option. It’s a Vertical bamboo which means the “strips” are turned on their sides.

I love the thin linear look of this one. This piece is “carbonized” in color which means the bamboo has been steamed and pressed and the sugars darken the color a bit. Carbonizing softens the product a little but a lot of people are looking for a darker color than the original light bamboo.
When looking for a bamboo- look for a piece that has bamboo from top to bottom- not just a thin layer of bamboo mounted on plywood or other substrate. I think bamboo having the bamboo all the way through is better- but that’s just my opinion.
And here’s another option for bamboo.

It’s called strand bamboo. This is when they take all pieces of the bamboo and smash them together with a lot of heat and pressure. This is the hardest bamboo they make. In fact, it’s harder than Oak… by quite a bit. It’s also priced a bit higher than the other two options and looks the least like traditional bamboo. Here’s another strand bamboo.

They took natural and carbonized pieces and sandwiched them together. I’m in love with this one. In fact, we were very close to installing in in our living area but it was about $2 more a sq. ft. than the one we selected and we just couldn’t.
Still not sold on a bamboo? How about one that looks like this:

Stained and scraped and you can hardly tell it’s bamboo.
Bamboo comes in so many different options and styles. If you are interested in bamboo for your home, do your research and don’t let your flooring supplier talk you out of it. In our recent search for a bamboo floor- if they didn’t sell bamboo or had some more expensive products- they worked very hard to try and convince me to go a different direction.
Well, it didn’t work because as I type- someone is installing this

in my living room.

Pictures to come!

PV2HU558TQEJ

New Letters!

2010-04-15T19:54:00.001-07:00

I’ve been busy but I’ve squeezed in some time to make letters. The “S” I made for a friend who gave it as a hostess gift. We didn’t know a whole lot about the house that she was putting it in so we kept it mostly neutral with a little pop of red. I think this is one of my favorites… but I say that everytime.

The KW I made for a Keller Williams office. It is the first time I got to use teal glitter… and that was wonderful.
If you like these, feel free to check out more HERE.

The Kitchen- What will one day be.

2010-04-15T12:21:00.001-07:00

Last week I showed you the state of our kitchen after a few upgrades. Today, I will show you the upgrades we can’t afford. One day I will show you what my dream kitchen would be but will never happen in this house. No, what I’m showing you today is affordable… just not by us right now.

The floor. Yuck. I dislike ceramic tile. Well, I can’t say always because there are some good ones out there. Our backsplash is ceramic tile. For the floors- go with porcelain. Just trust me.

Naturally, ripping it up and starting over would be my preference. Someone did a bad job grouting and it’s coming up in a lot of areas, the colors are ugly and seem to always look dirty, and the green accent tile just isn’t my kitchen color.

I’ve been doing some reading and I think that we can remove just the green tile and replace it with something a little more “now”. Then, we can scrape up all the loose grout and grout over everything with a new gout (I would select one that is the same color as the light tiles so the floor would hopefully look much smoother).

Here is the tile that I would like to replace them with. It’s called Fabrique from Daltile and it’s beautiful in person. It’s hard to tell on the screen but when it’s in the kitchen it’s the perfect compliment to the other colors that are going on in there.

It’s probably much harder than it sounds but I’m guessing the cost to have someone come do it for us would be much, much more.

That’s project #1. Project #2 involves the nook I talked about HERE. Yes, I know I just changed it to this:

But I’ve had something else designed for a long time now… just waiting on money to magically appear in our account. Here’s the design.

Pretty basic. Upper and lower cabinets from Ikea. The lower ones look like this

And the upper ones look like this

And I have this cute desk picked out shown right and I can’t find it on their web site. It better not be discontinued! I have had this drawn for like 3 years so it’s possible that it will be gone by the time we are ready to do this. The countertop would probably be butcher block and the backsplash would be mirror tile.

This would accomplish a few things: give me a serving buffet area for parties (though I don’t have a lot now, I would love to have more in the future) and allow me to move my pantry from the open shelving in the laundry room to the kitchen- behind these nice cabinets. Then, in the pantry- I would create little “lockers” and turn it into a true mudroom.

I know I’m just dreaming here but it gives me something to look forward to. There are other things- like replace the countertops and actually get a range and microwave that has the same finishes as the other appliances… but this comes first… unless something else does.

Quick, Easy, Affordable Kitchen Updates

2010-04-04T20:40:00.001-07:00

The kitchen is usually the first place people want to update and the last place people can afford to update. We are no different. Luckily, when we moved into the house the kitchen had been updated since the house had been built. The floor, cabinets, countertops and appliances were newish. I tried to make the kitchen a little more my style while not spending very much money and not destroying it for more than a weekend.

Of course I didn’t take a lot of before pictures. This was on our tour before we purchased the house so it’s not good but it shows basically what it looked like.

For starters, we added cabinet hardware. I created a template with a piece of paper and they were easy to install. It makes cabinets so much easier to open and adds a uniqueness to pre-fab cabinetry.
We also added a backsplash. I’ll have to tell you more about that in another post but if we can do it, you can do it. Seriously, you can do it. I was like two months pregnant when we did this so I can’t even say if I was much help. Mosaic tiles are mounted on a mesh back and are 12”x12” so they go up pretty easily. As a special bonus- the tile was free (a perk of the job) so this project didn’t cost much.
After the backsplash- we painted the entire kitchen blue.
Unfortunately the accent tiles on the floor are green. My kitchen stuff isn’t green. I chose to ignore the green knowing that one day we will change the floor.

Here’s a better picture of the tile. It’s a ceramic mosaic from American Tile in blues and greens. I love using mosaics as a backsplash material- huge impact less work (sometimes). The spice racks we got from Ikea. We hung them from the bottom of the cabinets so we didn’t have to drill through the backsplash.

So here’s an interesting area of the kitchen. I have no idea what the previous owners used this for, I wish I could go back and ask them. Is it a bench? The layout of the kitchen doesn’t allow for this to be a banquette for a table so it’s really out of place. Another thing we replaced was the baseboards. You can see the old ones in this picture. They were stapled on the wall and were barely hanging on. A friend of ours came in and put
So here’s my creative solution for this area. I talk all about it HERE- it’s gone through a couple of iterations but I like where it is now. Tomorrow I’ll tell you what I want it to be some day.

There’s some detail on the EAT letters HERE. The curtain on the left conceals the laundry room. That fabric wasn’t my first choice- I was going for a stripe but this one worked. It was fast and easy to put of the curtain. I didn’t even sew the fabric- just ironed down the edges with that iron on tape stuff.

We have begun to replace our appliances with stainless but have only gotten to the fridge and dishwasher. I know it’s not great to mix your appliance finishes but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Kitchen rugs are hard. You need something that can withstand food getting spilled on it and chairs getting moved over it and then be able to clean it up. Here’s my solution. Carpet tile. They are becoming more popular and I think you will see them even more soon. It’s a rubber backed carpet that 2’x2’ and you can pull it up off the floor and take it to the sink and clean it off if you need to. I got these for free (another perk of the job) so that makes it even better.
The light over the table is another one from Ikea. Love the modern design of the fixture- I think it looks more expensive than it was.

These mirrors are my latest addition from CB2. The white frame is a painted metal and it’s really heavy- which I like.
And finally, we replaced a fan in the kitchen with some track lighting. I got the lights at Ikea (do you see a trend here?). The fan was located off-center over the island so we couldn’t to a pendant fixture right over the island without moving the hole. I decided that doing a track like this would be nice because we could wind it over the island and it wouldn’t matter where the hole for power was.

The “window treatment” (if you can call it that) is a table runner I got on clearance from Pier One applied above the window with thumb tacks. It may not stay there forever but it serves it’s purpose now!
Thanks for stopping by for my (work in progress) kitchen tour. I am planning to post all about kitchens this week so check back and see what else there is.

I’m linking up with:
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land
Stop by and be inspired by other creative ideas!

New Crate & Barrel

2010-04-02T08:59:00.001-07:00

Just got this email from Crate and Barrel. What’s not to love about this stuff? I think i need that lamp!

1. Petrie Leather Chair $1999.
2. Cavalli Stripe Pillow Square $26.95

Rectangle

(shown on chair) $24.95
Avanti Dot Rectangle Pillow $26.95

3. Lolli Glass Votives $6.95 each
4. Boka Persimmon Table Lamp $179.
5. Bodum® Magenta Chambord

Thermal Jug

$39.95

6. Bodum Magenta Bean Coffee Press $29.95
7. Rex Vase $21.95
8. Paprika Vase $24.95
9. Taos Centerpiece Bowl $66.95

I'll Be Back

2010-03-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

I've had a lot going on lately and it has gotten in the way of my blogging. I'll be back soon, though. I have a long list of posts that I'm working on that I hope you will enjoy. Sorry for the break!

I’m a Winner!

2010-03-04T20:27:00.001-08:00

While that may be something I say to myself when I need a pep talk, this time I’m an actual winner.

I signed up as a facebook fan of a company called Sendomatic and was entered to win a cool pillow. The pillow was from 2 Modern (one of my favorite places ever). When it’s my Birthday please feel free to pick out my present from there. HERE is the link to the Inhabit Pillows. And this is what my free pillow looks like in my den.

It’s like they knew teal would go great in my den. Did I mention this pillow is worth $60? I don’t buy $60 throw pillows so this was a real treat.

I mean, I don’t mean to brag and stuff but I win things every once in awhile. HERE is the story of the biggest thing I have won. Other items are: dinner and tickets to a comedy club, ipod shuffle, gameboy, a giftcard to a craft store and I think there was one other thing but I can’t remember it now. Most everything is from Metrocon- one of the Interior Design events that occurs in Dallas each year. My friends won’t go with me anymore. Okay, so I don’t expect anything else for awhile but I’m going to keep entering and keep hoping!

The Writing on the Wall- Putting Words on Your Walls

2010-02-28T20:13:00.001-08:00

Putting words on the wall is popular right now and I’m a big fan. As discussed before, a small child used a mop to texture my walls (or that’s what I must assume). Many years ago (like 2) I wanted words on my wall and I found a great company that would let me customize it in vinyl. I ordered a sample and it didn’t stick over the mountains of texture. So, I had the brilliant idea to just paint them on. BRILLIANT.

I designed it in photoshop, printed it full size, put contact paper on both sides, used an knife to cut out each. individual. letter. then traced it on the wall and painted inside the lines. Of course, I couldn’t use it as a stencil because the walls were too textured (have I mentioned that?) Yes, I thought about using a projector but I did this in the entry hall and it’s just too small to get the projector far enough away from the wall.

Here’s how it turned out.

See the texture. Who’s idea was that?
Sometime later I discovered the company Uppercase Living. They have all sorts of wonderful wall words and I had to have one. I forgot all about my unruly walls and ordered “Create” for my craft room. I worked so hard getting that sucker on the walls I was sore the next day. What did I learn? It is possible to put them on textured walls- it will just take longer. You really, really, really have to put a lot of pressure when you are rubbing them on. Also, your fingers are going to be much better tools than the applicator thing they recommend. Go Slowly and rub each letter with your fingers to get stuck down. If you press too hard the spiky texture will poke right through the vinyl-not good. It won’t lay as flat as it would if you had flat walls but it works and hasn’t peeled off yet.

Attempt #2. I tried a custom one for my son’s room. It was much easier to apply (if you call 7 months pregnant on a ladder easy) because the letters were thinner. I believe it did take me about 4 days to get it finished though.

And the last one. You can see more about it HERE. Someone had the good sense to re-texture the kitchen before we moved in. I can say that the letters look better but they were not much easier to install.

I think these work best on walls that are completely smooth. I would love walls that are completely smooth. Meanwhile I will make due with what I have.

Linking up with:
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

The Letter S

2010-02-22T21:24:00.001-08:00

This was a special order- purple and gold, super girly. It turned out to be one of my favorites. Purple rhinestones, gold glitter… need I say more?

Here are some details. The scrollwork is painted chipboard the a crystal glaze applied to make it super shiny. I used the German Glass Glitter again and I still love it. It’s actually easier to work with than regular glitter. I’ll post more about it soon and when I do I’ll link it back here.

Hit up my custom letters button at the top to see more creations!

I’m Linking up with:

Making the World Cuter

Check out all the other great links!

A Little Organization in the Kitchen

2010-02-21T20:34:00.001-08:00

I have to be honest. I had a baby and I lost control of my house. I mean, I was no neat freak before but now, it’s just a disaster. Here’s what my kitchen nook looked like last week.

Oh my, I’m embarrassed to even show this. It’s bad folks, but it’s real life. The good, the bad, and the messy. Here’s the deal. The bench was there when we moved in and nothing else (of course, it wasn’t blue either). It was an awkward space so this was our solution to fix it. It worked for awhile until we got behind in life. I love the rail system the kept my spices but it was a bit far from where I actually cooked. I dream of turning my pantry into a mud room since it’s right inside the back door and having cute lockers like a Pottery Barn catalog, but that requires money.

Here is my solution.

1st of all, clear the clutter. Or, just move it to another spot to deal with later, that’s what I did. Then, I got bins for all the stuff, each of us have one. Hooks for the bags keep them from being strewn about the room.

I ordered our names from Uppercase Living and applied them to the wall. I have done this in a few other areas in our house and I’ll post a tutorial later- with textured walls it’s not as easy as they say it is.

I gotta tell ya, I’m lovin it. I think I'm going to add out initials to the bins. Not because it’s hard to figure out which bin belongs to which person, but because it would be cute- and I could use some cute.

I was inspired by a blog I read about using trays (I wish I could remember which one) so I placed this tray out to keep our keys and phones in a central location. Wow, it feels good to be organized!

This week I’m linking up here. Check them out and be inspired!

Made It Monday @ The Persimmon Perch
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Made it for Monday @ Cottage Instincts

Make Your Monday @ Twice Remembered

Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative

Toot Your Horn Tuesday @ Silly Little Sparrow

Creative Cats @ Poppies at Play
DIY Day @ A Soft Place To Land
Get Your Craft On @ Todays Creative Blog
Get Your Craft on @ Life as Lori
Strut Your Stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans
Make it Yours Day @ My Backyard Eden

Making the World Cuter

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Love these new Crate & Barrel Cubes

2010-02-13T18:08:00.001-08:00

They are $79 each and can be stacked in all different ways. I can think of a bunch of different areas that I could use these. Of course, I feel like I need the lamp too…. and probably the vases. You know, to really make it work. You can buy them HERE.

EAT - Custom Letters

2010-02-07T18:02:00.001-08:00

I’m at it again, making all kinds of letters for the home. You can see more HERE, HERE or even HERE.

This time, it’s for the kitchen. I took chipboard letters and covered them with recipes from my favorite magazine, Everyday Food. Then glittered the edges and hung them with ribbon. I needed something on this wall in my kitchen and I like how this turned out.

Most of the recipes are white but I picked some with colors that would work well in my kitchen.

I used the German glass glitter here as I have used in other projects. It’s beautiful and super shiny. It comes in a bunch of colors but I think silver is my favorite.

Super Shine.

Want some of your own? I’ll make ‘em for ya! :-)

I’m linking this up to all my favorite parties. Go and visit and be inspired by all their ideas!

Made It Monday @ The Persimmon Perch
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Made it for Monday @ Cottage Instincts

Make Your Monday @ Twice Remembered
Toot Your Horn Tuesday @ Silly Little Sparrow

Making the World Cuter

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Clear Dining Chairs

2010-02-03T12:40:00.001-08:00

A few months ago I was on the hunt for clear dining chairs. We had purchased a table and it had been sitting chairless for a few months. That’s how we roll. It’s one baby step of a project at a time over here so if you don’t have money for chairs, you don’t get them.

Since the dining table was in a narrow space and I like the rug underneath- I thought using clear chairs was a good way to maintain an open feel… and at the time, they were not very common so I liked that aspect as well.

Of course, during my search David on HGTV does a room and uses the very chairs I want. Punk. The room turned out great and the chairs were a big hit. But let me tell you a little something about those chairs. Something I knew but a lot of viewers may not have known. They have been around for awhile, designed by Phillipe Stark and are NOT cheap. Like $400 each not cheap. I don’t pay $400 for much of anything around here. My dining table didn’t even cost $400 so I’m most certainly not going to pay $400 PER CHAIR. I’m sure there is a knockoff but if I remember, it’s still more than I wanted to pay.

Here’s the room David did- you can sort of see the chairs- sort of not because… well, they’re clear.

Here are some of the chairs we looked at on this search for clear.

The Ghost Chair from Kartell found HERE- Originals are around $400. Yeah, already ruled these out.

Acrylic Dining Chair from Target found HERE. $159.99 Like it but don’t love it. I that looked a little more classic.

Vapor Chair from CB2 seen HERE. $179.00 Love this chair. They have a barstool too. Only problem is- we don’t have a CB2 anywhere nearby and I couldn’t sit in one. Also, still would love to have a better price. Yeah, we are cheap.

The Tobias Chair from Ikea seen HERE. $99.00. And this is the one we went with. We looked at them in the store for months before we actually purchased them. They are quite comfortable and really look nice. Of course, even at that price we had to purchase 2 then wait a few months and purchase the other 2. Oh well, we made it work.

Here’s a photo of them in our house.

Well, that doesn’t tell you very much at all since now, we have a very cool rug underneath and the backpack is usually not allowed to rest there. But I don’t feel like taking another picture right now so this will have to go.

Hopefully this helps if you are on a quest for clear dining chairs!

Love Letters

2010-02-01T20:59:00.001-08:00

Literally- that’s what they are. This project was for ME, I need some valentines decorations. Unfortunately, it took the whole month of January to get time to finish them so they won’t get to be up for very long but I’ll have them for years to come. Sorry the pictures aren’t great- I always finish projects in the dark of night and there’s never any good natural light.
I just took wooden letters and covered them in papers and ribbons and accessories and anything else I could get my hands on.

A close up of some layered paper and accessories.

I love using fibers- I think it really adds a lot of dimension. The dotted paper on the right is flocked so it’s nice and soft.

I wanted to try and get a pic of the glitter. I covered the edges in hot pink German Glass Glitter. More on that later but it makes for a super glittery edge- I just love it!

You can check out more of my letters HERE or HERE.

This week, I’m linking up with:
This week I’m linking up with:
Made It Monday @ The Persimmon Perch
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
Making the World Cuter
Creative Cats @ Poppies at Play
DIY Day @ A Soft Place To Land
Get Your Craft On @ Todays Creative Blog
Get Your Craft on @ Life as Lori
Strut Your Stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans
Make it Yours Day @ My Backyard Eden
Be sure and check out all their creative ideas!

Dress up your Hallway

2010-01-31T20:08:00.001-08:00

A lot of new houses don’t have hallways. I think that’s unfortunate. I like hallways, but it’s hard to know what to do with them. Long narrow spaces- it’s hard to decorate. I say- make it a feature. For our hallway, we painted on side orange. It is hard to get the color right in the photos since there’s no natural light coming in but it’s a more intense orange- like at the end of the hallway. I wanted to give it a real art gallery look so we added track lighting to point at the photos. The frames I got at Aaron Brothers on a buy 1 get one for a penny sale. All the pictures I took myself on vacation. I don’t have a fancy camera or any photography skills (obviously by the look of these photos) but if you take photos outdoors then crop and send them to be enlarged at shutterfly or snapfish they look good enough to frame.

We have stained concrete in the back of our house. You can read more about that HERE.

If you can get it to work, hanging pictures on the wall that have some of the same colors of the paint behind it really help the colors pop (you can’t tell but the photo and the wall are similar colors. I took this photo from my striped bathroom- you can see that HERE.

Here’s a close up of the track fixture we got. Don’t you just love the popcorn ceilings. I could do a whole post on how I don’t understand why anyone would ever put Styrofoam balls on the ceiling but I’ll spare you of that. We didn’t scrape them before we moved in and now the task just seems to overwhelming. I would love to have all my ceilings painted- so imagine that it is.

Here’s a view from the other side of the hallway. The non-orange wall is painted Sherwin Williams Toasted Almond- pretty much my favorite color ever. It looks better than it does in the picture… promise.

This end of the hallway holds my diplomas and licenses. I work in a cubicle so I don’t have a place to hang them at the office and, well, they just don’t go in my home office so this worked out to be the best place for them. I paid too much for them to have them shoved in a closet.

My last “trick”. Try hanging the artwork differently than just straight down the hall. I took the biggest picture and lined up all the rest either with the top or bottom edge of that picture. It’s a little unexpected but not too crazy.

Here’s some close up’s of my photos. I’m telling you- it’s all about the cropping and the size. If you have been afraid to put your own photos on the wall- don’t be. It really makes it special and gives you an instant conversation topic when you are giving a tour of your home.

Thanks for visiting. This week I’m linking up with:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Made it for Monday @ Cottage Instincts

Make Your Monday @ Twice Remembered

Making the World Cuter

Room A Month Makeover @ The Shades of Pink

Toot Your Horn Tuesday @ Silly Little Sparrow

Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Please check out all the links. You will find amazing designs by talented people. I’m blown away at every one I see… and their blogs- amazing!

The Real Life of a Commercial Interior Designer

2010-01-30T19:50:00.001-08:00

I’m sitting here, watching a Lifetime movie, faced with another unproductive weekend. Well, I made a huge batch of babyfood, changed some diapers, cleaned the kitchen only to get it messy again and went to Target. So for another week those house improvement projects will have to wait. Instead of posting some great crafty project I accomplished I will post a little more about what I do.

“So, what do you do”

“I’m an interior designer”

“Oh how cool. Do you watch HGTV?”

“Um yeah, but I don’t exactly do what they…”

“Oh my gosh, I just love that show where they painted the wall teal and then put the lines on it. It must be so great to be a designer. I have this room in my house with a window on one wall and a fireplace on the other and i have this sofa that’s about this long (holding up hands) and I just don’t know which wall to put it on. What do you think? and what color should I paint”

“Uh…”

Okay, so every conversation doesn’t start like that but I swear- a lot of them do. And yes, I do love HGTV and they have great and wonderful ideas but I don’t think it’s a great representation of the interior design process- commercial or residential. First of all, most of our clients have an OPINION, and they say it, and you have to listen. Doesn’t happen as much on TV.

What’s a typical day for me?

Sitting in a chair, in front of the computer, all day. Yes, I use a program called CAD where I draft everything from floor plans to elevations to sections and details. Then, I get to make some super fun calls to cities to ask what codes they are under or if they will let me put 2 toilets in instead of 3. Oh yeah, on an average week there’s lots of talk of toilets and urinals. Lots of talk of code compliance and grab bars and turning radius’s, and what we can do to cut costs. And we do all that while not really making a lot of money ourselves.

Yes, there are times of selecting finishes and furniture and all things cheap… er, uh, pretty. There is also the occasional site survey. An opportunity to get out of the office and be on your feet. Site surveys can make for great stories back at the office. There was the one at the funeral home where we were installing art and accessories around the open caskets…. that were not empty. It’s not unusual to be measuring around dead roaches but there’s also been a dead rat I had to step around. Many times it’s dark, and cold, or hot depending on the season. You just never know what you are going to get. I used to travel all over doing surveys and that was a lot of fun.

No, while it’s not always glamorous and it’s certainly not what you see on TV, I still love what I do. While designing around codes can be annoying at times- it’s also so important that everyone can get around a space without trouble. I love working on a variety of projects. In my 6 years at this firm I’ve done multi-family, religious, office, residential (yes, every once in awhile we get to do residential), retail and I think there have been more but I can’t remember right now. I knew I wanted to do commercial even when I was in school and I’m glad I went that direction but sometimes I miss the beautiful fabrics and personal style that comes with residential.

I hope you enjoyed this look in the world of commercial design. Hopefully I can post some projects soon!

I'm Published!

2010-01-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

Ha, not exactly... but sort of.

I was the interior designer for a project that is in the book (shown left). My name is in it- seriously! It's in tiny print next to the other members of the team but hey, that counts.

It's a really nice coffee table book with projects all over Texas. Some you will recognize like the American Airlines Center and some will be new. Buying this book does not support me in any way so unless you need a coffee table book- you can just come look at mine :-)

Here are a few project images. I was fortunate to be able to work on the project from start to finish and it was a very special project to be a part of. This was designed for Samaritan House in Fort Worth. It's an apartment complex designed to provide affordable housing to people with HIV/AIDS so they have somewhere to live as they get back on their feet. The organization is incredible and you can find out more about them HERE.

I certainly can't take credit for it myself, it was a huge team effort and I was only a tiny part.

Just wanted to share a little of what I do every day with you!

Painting Stripes on Textured Walls- A Tutorial

2010-01-27T19:43:00.001-08:00

If I could have re-textured all the walls in my 1970’s home before we moved in, I would have… but that was an undertaking I was not interested in doing myself or paying someone. So, I’m stuck with texture that looks like it was done with a mop. Anyone else have the same problem? Well, I love stripes and unfortunately, mop texture walls aren’t very helpful. HGTV would tell you to tape off the stripes and paint in-between. Well, if you have tried it, the tape won’t lay flat and you get drips behind the tape. Take my word for it. Look at those straight lines- pretty awesome right? So, here’s what I did. Get a really long level and a pen. Measure down from the ceiling however far you want the top of the stripe. Make a dot then move down and measure again and make another dot. Then using the level draw a line between the dots. The level is important because your ceiling might not always be level. Keep going, as long as you want the stripe.

Here’s the kicker- the part where some of you are going to click the X at the top right of your screen. “That girl is Crazy”. Once you draw the lines for the stripes, you have to fill them in… freehand. You can do it. Small brush, go slow, put enough paint on your brush.

Here’s a trick I learned on the 3rd stripe. Draw the lines with a sharpie in the color of paint you are using (if available). It gives you a bit of grace trying to paint straight. For me, a thick black line really helped.

Because I’m a glutton for punishment I did it again in another room- more stripes. This time we did it a little differently. We measured for the lines then used a chalkline to get the line all the way across the wall (would have worked a lot better if the wall was straight!). Then I painted by hand the color stripes. The good thing is the chalkline is a very quick way of getting a line across a long distance. The bad thing is it’s blue… and a bit messy. When using the white paint right next to it I was getting some chalk flakes mixed with the white paint.

And it’s a little hard to get the chalk off too. BUT depending on your wall color and how you want the stripes- it might be the better method.

I’m very sorry I did not have some great wisdom for stripes on textured walls. Good Luck and have fun!

Guest Artist- Valentines Candles

2010-01-26T20:42:00.001-08:00

My friend (oh yeah, and mom) Linda over at Lolli’s Pops makes great Valentines Candles. The Christmas ones were just as beautiful but I waited too long to get those up- so Valentines it is. These can be customized just for you- pick your ribbon color and even what you want it to say around the outside.

They are $10 each and you can order by contacting me – everythingdesign@hotmail.com

Hope you like!

More Custom Letters

2010-01-24T20:33:00.001-08:00

You can see the first few letters I made HERE. This time, I had paying customers!

For the letter “V” her room is blue, green and brown. I have some new German Glass Glitter in a beautiful green and copper colors that really made this letter pop. Accessories, rub-ons and fibers completed the letter. I really like how it turned out- hopefully she will take a picture of it on her shelf!

For the letter “K”, her room is olive green, mustard, red and touches of black. Their home is “old Hollywood” style with touches of Texan. Sounds beautiful!
The black polka dotted paper is flocked (yummy) and I hand studded over the red paper. I embossed the key to give it a vintage worn look and painted the olive swirly thing. I used the copper glitter around the edges to finish it out and it’s hanging from bookbinders ribbon.

This B was made for a craft room. I love making the girly-frilly ones!

I love how these turned out and I hope you do to. If you want your own letter- just let me know!

This week I’m linking up with:
Made It Monday @ The Persimmon Perch
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
Making the World Cuter
Creative Cats @ Poppies at Play
DIY Day @ A Soft Place To Land
Get Your Craft On @ Todays Creative Blog
Get Your Craft on @ Life as Lori
Strut Your Stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans

Be sure and check out all their creative ideas!

Easy(ish) Bathroom Makeover

2010-01-24T19:32:00.001-08:00

I HAD to get something done… Something… anything! So, I picked the smallest room in the house and worked until it was finished. Is anything ever finished?

We have no money for new countertops- so those stay and my friend gave me that amazing light fixture so that was my inspiration for the makeover (not the one over the mirror- the cool one over the toilet. oh yeah, it's flocked!). We started by painting the tile floor black. Use porch and floor paint and a good primer… one that will stick to anything.

Then I painted the black stripes. Now it’s really coming together. A coat of black paint on the mirror frame- it started out gold- NOT going to work.
There was carpet in the front part of the bathroom. I would probably prefer tile but sometimes you have to take what you can get. I replaced the carpet with a commercial carpet tile. I’ll tell you more about carpet tile later but it’s great. I think it really makes the room.

I got the plates from Target and the candle holders I used scrapbook rub-ons to add some flair.

Click HERE to see a tips on how I painted these stripes on these heavily textured walls. That’s what made this makeover easy(ish) instead of just easy. But it is possible.

So I’m done!
Not quite- I still would love to paint the cabinets black, change the hardware, and replace the countertop. But those things will have to wait.

This week I’m linking up here:
Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Made it for Monday @ Cottage Instincts
Make Your Monday @ Twice Remembered
Making the World Cuter
Room A Month Makeover @ The Shades of Pink
Toot Your Horn Tuesday @ Silly Little Sparrow
Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Please check out all the links. You will find amazing designs by talented people. I’m blown away at every one I see!

Don't Miss Penny Sale to Make Your own Art

2010-01-21T19:33:00.000-08:00

This is a little late notice but Aaron Brothers is having a buy one get one for a penny sale on Canvases. What does that mean? Run, don't walk to Aaron Brothers and buy some. Why, because you can make your own art. Yes, you can.

It's easy. Grab some paint while you are there and paint the canvas. It doesn't have to be perfect. I painted a square. Doesn't get more basic than that. I wish I had a better picture but it's dark, my baby is asleep, and I'm sipping tea by the computer so I won't be doing any detailed photography at this hour. This photo will have to do.

So, canvas, paint, brush. Do it. The magenta background color is straight out of the tube, painted straight on the canvas. Then, I darkened it a little with some black and painted a square. I didn't measure, or draw lines or tape it off. Just drew a square. It got much bigger than originally planned becuase I kept trying to make the lines straight. They aren't and I got over it. Then I added some water to the leftover paint and splattered the darker paint on the canvas. I felt like a real professional.

Here's my unsolicited design tip of the day: your art doesn't have to match your decor. it can if you want it to, but it can also stand alone as a feature. I chose pink (magenta). I knew I would never get away with that color in any other form as long as my husband has something to say about it but call it "art" and he has to deal :-)

So make it special, make it yours, and best of all- make it cheap!

Acid Stained Concrete - D.I.Y

2010-01-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

Stained concrete is a popular look right now and for good reason. It's affordable and can give a really nice look. Before I start the D.I.Y, let me tell you a little about your stained concrete options. This part is kind of boring, so you can skip it if you want.

1. Concrete overlay- here, they will take some new concrete and apply it in a very thin layer over existing concrete. This can have color in it and can be made to look solid or flagsone or a plethera of other textures and colors.
2. Color stain- This is probably the most common application. A color is applied to the floor kind of like a paint- but a bit more transparent. It is sealed and gives a more even color than the acid stain.
3. Diamond Polish- This is my favorite. A machine is used to polish the concrete (real diamonds on the polisher). It provides a super smooth, glass like finish that is incredibly durable. It's becoming more popular commercially although if you are working in a space that is already built (as opposed to a fresh slab) it's hard to get right next to the walls and in the corners- the machine is a little big. Color can also be applied with this.
4. Acid stain- This is a stain that when applied to the concrete forms a chemical reaction. With this product you get a lot of color variation- it totally depends on your type of concrete as to what colors you will get (well, it will fall in a color range but it's hard to tell exactly). You then seal the floor and it's good to go.

This acid stain is what we attempted... one weekend... we have not yet recovered.

Step one- tear up carpet and pad. Remove tack strips. Very thankful I did not have to do that all by myself.

Hmmmm... This takes longer than anticipated... and it's messy.

Step 2: Clean, clean and more clean. Vaccuum it, sweep it, whatever it takes. Oh, if there's paint or carpet glue on the floor do your best to remove that. When we pulled up our carpet it looked like there had been a paint fight in the living room. So, back to Lowes about 4 times to get strong chemicals to clean the floor. They are very stinks, it's a miracle I was able to get pregnant after this.

Step 3: Apply the stain. You can get the stain at Lowes next to the paint aisle. For our den we needed 2 containers. Use a spray can like you would use to spray fertilizer on the yard. Sorry I don't have more pictures of this stage but that was pre-blogging.

Step 4-50: You have to scrub the floor with a baking soda water mix. Then you have to let it dry. This is BIG- let it dry! Big fans would be nice but we didn't have big fans. Then, you roll on the sealer- I would recomend 2 coats... maybe more. IF you apply the sealer before the floor is really dry, your sealer with turn a milky color instead of clear... ask me how I know.

Remember I told you about all the paint on the floor. Here's a finished shot where you can see some marks of paint cans, I think you can see footprints too. I don't mind the funky look but it's not for everyone.

Here's a finished look of the den. I didn't clean it up, sorry. If I did, I would be lying to you about our house always being neat... but no, this is how we live, this is reality. HERE is the story of painting the fireplace if you missed it last week. How long do the baby toys stick around?

So, would I do it again? Well, I didn't. We decided to stain the rest of our house and we hired someone. It was much easier- just move out for a few days and it was done. Very nice!

Please excuse any spelling mistakes. I'm a terrible speller and I seem to have lost the ability to spell check in blogger. Hmmm...

This week I'm linking up with:

Tillmans Roadhouse- A Review

2010-01-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

I have a new favorite restaurant. I'm in love. Now, I believe good dining consists of two things: food and atmosphere. If I were being really honest I would rank atmosphere above food. I know, I'm crazy, but I would rather eat decent food at an amazingly decorated place than great food at a hole in the wall. Luckily, this place has both- amazing food and amazing decor.

It's called Tillmans Roadhouse. There is one in Dallas- I believe it's in the Bishop Arts District. The one that I have been to is in Fort Worth in some of the new development going on there around 7th street.

First of all, check out the decor.

This is the party room in dallas. I think it looks amazing. Someone please throw a party for me here.

Here is the party room in Fort Worth. The designer just has an amazing way to combine the rustic with the chic.

Here is a view of the bar. Love the stacked logs. Love everything. My dream is to design spaces like this.

Here's the patio. An Eames rocker next to a stack of logs. Perfect.

Now let me say a word about the food. Yummy!

It's a great blend of good wholesome down home food in an upscale way. Make sense? Probably not. They have Venison Frito Pie. I didn't try that one. They have a french fry trio. I did try that. Regular potatoes with parmesean and herbs, sweet potatoes, and purple potatoes. Homeade ketsup and another sauce. That's really all you need.

But don't stop there. Get their daily lemonade special- the Basil Lemonade is to die for. Then, you could try a gourmet grilled cheese and a soup of the day. Or one of the other amazing things. Check out the menu HERE.

Save room for Tableside Smores. It's amazing (have I said that enough?). Okay, they bring a tray with 3 flavors of homeade marshmallows, homeade graham crackers, homeade chocolate, and a little burner to roast them on. It's fun and good. They also have a cupcake tower which comes with 2 cupcake flavors 2 icings and 3 topings and you ice and top your own. I dream of trying that. I think it comes with like 12 cupcakes so in order to avoid eating all of them, I need some people to go with.

Another view of the interior.

And another. I think chandilears like this are best paired with wood siding and concrete floors. It's the only way to go.

Now that I've shared this I will be dreaming of it all weekend. I hope you will too. If anyone wants to share the cupcake tower with me, I'm in!

A Perfectly Modern Hotel- NYLO Review

2010-01-11T19:47:00.001-08:00

I love staying in hotels, I really do. I think if I had someone who would pack and unpack for me I could live going from hotel to hotel. Only if they are nice hotels that is.

A few weeks ago my husband and I were celebrating our 5th anniversary and in the interest of saving money and staying close to our baby, we decided to stay at NYLO hotel in Plano. You know me, and I love modern design, so the web site alone sold me on this place.

Here's the outside. Modern but not overly cold modern.

I was in love when I stepped in the lobby. Concrete. Yea.

The tree is nice too. I have always wanted a white tree... and a green tree and a silver tree....

Here's a view looking through the lobby. This is considered a botique budget hotel. Our room was about $65. There is no valet, no room service, no minibar, no bellhop. We didn't miss it.

Our room. This is the closet. Just a rod and a curtain and this cute shelf.

Here's the bedside table. Clear acrylic with a radio. My iphone is already plugged in!
(sorry, pictures are out of order)

These are the lights on each side of the bed. I would put this in my house.

Cute desk, cute chair.
I love the details. This is a floor lamp beside the loveseat. All the furniture looks like it was custom made for this hotel. It probably was.
Ceiling- concrete with exposed sprinkler pipes. I so want to be the designer for this hotel.
Carpet squares as a rug on the concrete floor. I think they copied me- we have this all over our house. Whew, I feel cool now! If you are curious- these are from Interface Flor. The tan one is called Soft Sisal.
A big TV that we could pull out over our bed. We watched a movie. I say, if you are going to have a TV, make it big and able to position over the bed. Here's a view sitting on the bed looking at the door. The glass on the right is the shower. Don't worry, you can't see through it.
Looking into the shower.
Awesome sink, lights, mirror- do I need to go on?
And the toilet. Nothing amazing here.
A sliding door for the bathroom. I have been wanting to do this in our bathroom for soooooo long.
Look, our own private coffee maker. I had fun making tea with this. They give you a free water bottle too. Seriously- it was free!
The view looking at the bed. The curtains on each side are decorative... there's only concrete behind them. So yes, it's a small room. We didn't need a big room though. If you want your family of 5 to stay here, might not be the place. But, if you need a good place for a getaway or a business hotel- this is it!
Here's the cute loveseat. See the concrete walls. Someday I will have a concrete house. Someday when I win the lottery.

Transform Your Fireplace

2010-01-10T19:09:00.001-08:00

This is a true testament to the power of paint.

When we purchased our first home it wasn't exactly my style. Especially the den. The fireplace is the first thing you see when you walk in the door and what did we see? Ugly brick next to a tan wall. I couldn't have that for long.

I don't even know how to begin with all the ways this isn't me. It's fine, and I'm sure it appealed to some buyers, but it was one of our first projects in the new house.

What's the easiest and cheapest way to make an impact? PAINT!!! We headed for Lowes and asked the best way to paint brick. They directed us to a primer which they tinted in our color and a topcoat. We got one quart of each and we really could have used more of the primer.

I say, make a statement with your fireplace. It's the heart of your home and the focal point of the room so you can really make it a statement.

I picked teal for the fireplace. I love it!

This was nice but I didn't love it. The scale seemed wrong on the mantle so it had to go. It was attached with wood "posts" in holes in the brick. We could slide the mantle off which revealed these two big holes. So, we sawed (is that a word, sawed?) off the wood posts on the back of the mantle and stuck them back in the holes. Then, sealed around them and painted over it. You have to really be looking to see it.
A quick trip to Pier One and we found 3 pieces of metal to hang. A new fireplace screen from Crate and Barrel and it's looking better. (This is a Christmas Picture- the cone trees are not always there).

That's nice but still not great. I hated the wall faux finish... just didn't work for me. So, another LONG day and we painted the den. Now the fireplace really stands out. Perfect.
Hmmmm, only perfect for a little white. We have since stained the concrete, gotten a new rug, gotten new sofa and re-arranged. But that's another story for another day.

Ornament Tree to Photo Tree in a Snap

2010-01-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

I ordered this "tree" last year from CB2 after Christmas for 75% off! (by the way, they still have some modern christmas stuff left on sale). They showed it as an ornament tree and that's what I got it for. When it came, it turned out to be a Umbra Photo Tree- you can get one HERE. I copied their use as an ornament tree at Christmastime.

Then changed it to a photo tree for the rest of the year.

I think I like the photo tree better!

One of the reasons I like this is because there is a similar chandelier that I love. I've seen a few versions and here is one from Pottery Barn. Wouldn't this be fun above a dining table!

By the way, Target carries Umbra- check it out HERE or HERE
Love this stuff!

Quick and Easy Chalkboard Tutorial

2010-01-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

It's easy (and cheap) to get a chalkboard for your home. Find a frame, any frame will do. I like to shop at Aaron Brothers because they often have major sales and you can get one for really cheap. So, take your frame- remove the glass. I hated disposing of such a large piece of glass so it's in the garage... waiting for me to come up with a creative project for it.

There should be a piece of masonite or a thin hard piece of brown material. Take that and paint it with chalkboard paint. We used the Rust-oleum (shown above) and did 4 coats. The can says you can use less but I didn't want to take any changes. Then, re-assemble the frame and hang it on the wall. See, I told you it was easy!
Here's our finished chalkboard. We use it to post a weekly memory verse- it's been a huge help!

Linking with The Nester!

2010's Hot Color

2010-01-06T19:37:00.001-08:00

It's true. I don't make this stuff up (well some of it I do). I was surprised to see so much of it in my new catalogues this week. I love it, I think it really freshens up a room and adds a nice pop of color. BUT not all rooms can handle yellow. I don't have a single room in my house that yellow would work in. That makes me a little sad. Maybe it will work in yours. Notice how it's used as an accent in the photos below and not overdone. I like how the other colors are neutral and light. So, if you have a room that needs a color pop, give yellow a try.

Photos above are from some of my favorite places to shop- West Elm, CB2 & Chiasso.

If you use yellow in a room, send me the link or the photos so I can see your great work!

P.S. Yes, I did read an article the other day where a designer said the hot color for 2010 was "Apricot". Well, he has many years of experience more than I do and he designs houses for the rich and famous but I have a hard time believing that Apricot is going to be hot this year. So, if you are rich and famous and reading this, ignore the part about the yellow and go with Apricot.

The Nelson Bench

2010-01-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

A classic piece of furniture. So simple. So beautiful. It's a popular item in museums for the seating. Designed by George Nelson- you can find his bio HERE.

He also designed the clock that is in my heading. Cute clock.

Back to the bench. I have one. It's awesome in real life. I think it's the coolest piece of furniture I own (Ikea and West Elm are cool... just in a different way). The bench sits at the end of our bed. How did I get this amazing bench? Well, I won it in a drawing at a continuing education event from Herman Miller. My co-workers were quite jealous. It came with authenticity papers and everything. I love this bench.

My child does too, just in a different way. A way I don't really approve of.

That little munchkin better keep his 4 teeth off my bench or he's going to be banned from the bedroom!

Culin Home Knives

2009-12-30T20:30:00.000-08:00

I found these knives on Amazon and liked them immediately. I have a magnetic strip that I hang all my knives from so the fact that they are decorative was very appealing. My question was, do they cut? Well, I ordered them... all of them, and they are great- incredibly sharp and they look wonderful. I have washed them a few times and they still look just as good. They have other patterns but this one is my favorite. Heres the link: CulinHome
Hope you like them as much as I do!

Metrocon Update and Review

2009-08-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

Every year there's an event in Dallas called Metrocon for Interior Designers. It's a local version of Neocon which takes place in Chicago and has designers travel from all over to attend.

I look forward to this every year. It's a nice 2 days to get out of the office, continuing education gets knocked out and I get to see friends who work at other design firms and all the new products that have been released.

Here's a few photos overlooking the show.

My friend Lori who works at Club Design.

Ashley from Tri-Kes. Check out the beautiful wallcovering on the table. I want to use fun wallcovering on a project!

The Poulsen lighting display. Beautiful fixtures, a little expensive but one of my co-workers did get to use some on a job once.

This year I felt as though many of the vendors had smaller booths than in years past and less giveaways and drawings. It seems as if the economy has affected everyone. Someone mentioned there were quite a few designers there without jobs which is sad. Hopefully this gave them an opportunity to network with future employers.

The major problem I have with metrocon is a problem I have had for a few years now. The continuing education classes are BORING and some are not related to our field as much as I would like for them to be. I had a hard time finding anything that sounded interesting enough to take. I did end up having a few good classes that I really enjoyed but I had more that were snoozers. We have a requirement to have a barrier free class and I think there were 2 that were offered. A few more barrier free classes would have been helpful!

So, what was my favorite thing? Well, there was too much to say but here are a few:

Pantheon had some beautiful new tiles.

The Generation Chair by Knoll was good looking and very comfortable. I registered to win one but I didn't. I like to sit with my legs crossed under me or sideways or other silly ways and this chair will let you do all of that comfortably.

Check out this furniture from Greenplay. I hope I can use that on one of our Church projects soon!

Dunkin Donuts New Prototype

2009-01-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the new Dunkin Donuts? They just put one near our house and I think they did a great job on the new look. The one by our house I actually like a lot better than this picture. It's really nice to see a chain restaurant using some modern design on the exterior of their building, especially one like a donut shop where high design isn't typically the norm. Unfortunatly, i'm not a huge fan of their donuts, their vanilla chai on the other hand is fabulous, but haven't found a donut there that I like. Their cool building makes me want to support them though so I stop by every once in awhile to grab a snack... like it's my personal goal to keep businesses with attractive spaces in business.

Umbra Loft at Target

2009-01-16T11:21:00.001-08:00

You have to hand it to Target, they do a great job of getting well known designers in the store for an affordable price. They have recently introduced the Umbra Loft collection. I have been a fan of Umbra for awhile, we even have some umbra kitchen chairs, and it's not outrageously priced, but the pricing here is much better. Most everything in the collection is black and white right now, I'm hoping that will change as the line evolves since nothing in my house is black and white, but I can appreciate the design. I know some stores are following their lead and getting designers in at reasonable prices but I wish that even more would follow. I think everyone should be able to experience modern design at a price the average person can afford (love you DWR but sorry, there's nothing within reach at your store except the location). So check out the umbra stuff online or at the store. I'm sure there's something there you will like.

About Me

2009-01-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

I am a wife, mom and a commercial interior designer in the Fort Worth area. I received my undergraduate in design from Baylor University and my masters in design from Savannah College of Art and Design. I've been working at the same firm since I graduated. I love commercial design and have had the opportunity to work on all kinds of projects including retail, restaurant, religious, multi-family and even some residential. I wrote a little more about what I do HERE.

My husband and I purchased an older home a few years ago and SLOWLY I'm working on making it ours. We have learned a lot in the process and hope I can share some of that on this blog.

I draw inspiration from all styles and meld them for a modern mix.

In my spare time I do anything crafty. Scrapbooking, card making, anything. Currently I'm making custom letters for your home. You can see and order those HERE.
I love talking design or giving opinions. Feel free to email me at everythingdesign@hotmail.com

My personal blog is HERE where I talk about raising our first child (without a clue what I'm doing).

Modern Nursery

2008-09-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

While a lot of modern styles are becoming more and more affordable, modern nursery items are still a bit pricey and hard to find. Now that I'm looking to supply a modern nursery of my own, I'm trying to hunt the coolest style and the best bargains. Here is a bit of what I've been finding.

Cribs:
This is one of my favorite cribs and it can easily be yours for at least $2,100 at this web site.Now, here is one that's a little more reasonable and I love the way it looks. It's also convertible which seems like it will save even more money in the long run. This one will cost you only $299 and you will be surprised at where I found it- web site

Changing Tables and Dressers:
Another beautiful changing table. Since I'm thinking about doing dots in the nursery, this would work perfectly. But.... it's going to cost a mere $1500. Check out this web site for more great looking changing tables.
Here is one I also love. I think it's a great design, a great price ($299), and it's easy to access from this web site.

If you are interested in further research, here are some of my favorite baby furniture web sites. I don't know if I will be able to afford anything from these but it would sure be fun! Enjoy.

DucDuc
2 Modern
Baby Star
Stokke
Modern Nursery
My Urban Child

2008-04-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

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Projects

2008-01-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

While I believe the worlds best projects are the ones I work on*, every once in awhile other people come up with great designs too. Here you can see both... well eventually... when I get more posted.

Acid Stained Concrete
Bathroom Makeover
Painting Stripes on Textured Walls
Fireplace Remodel
Chalkboard Tutorial
Dunkin Donuts Prototype

* Don't worry, I'm not being serious about my designs being the best.

Product Reviews

2008-01-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

I appreciate good design all around and I'm always looking for products that are extra cool. Some things I've tried personally, some I just want to try.

Tillmans Roadhouse Review
NYLO Hotels
Ornament/Photo Tree
Umbra Loft at Target

Modern Nursery Stuff

Modern Tea Stuff

Party Stuff

Modern Shoes

Modern Fireplace Screens

Modern Knives
P.S. I don't get paid or free product for anything I review (oh, I would love to *hint hint* but I'm not there yet)

Opinions

2008-01-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

I have lots of opinions. You can agree or disagree, either way... it's all good.

The one about Modern vs. Contemporary

The one about being tired of 'Green'

Modern Tea

2007-11-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I love having tea. I'll have a glass in the morning and again in the afternoon. Enjoying an afternoon tea ceremony is one of my favorite things to do. If your curious, here's a brief history of Afternoon Tea.
With my love for Tea, I decided to collect tea pots but It's hard to find tea pots that also fit in with my modern decor. So, after a little research, I found some new favorites. In no particular order...

There are many glass teapots but I like this one. The spout and handle are unique as well as the chrome lid and center. This one is from Bodum and there are plenty of other great finds on their web site.
I think this is my favorite of all of them. It's perfect for one pot, I love the chrome and the flat top is unusual. I found this at Living Comforts.
Go figure, Amazon.com has modern teapots. Is there anything you can't find on Amazon? This one comes in several colors, another unique flat top, and it is just too cute.

You can't have modern teapots without an Asian inspired pot. The angles make this one unique along with the shape of the handle. eteapot.com has many other teapots but I picked the best.

I can't end without mentioning my favorite place to have afternoon tea. I have had tea everywhere from DC to California and I have one spot that is my favorite. It's a little place called Savannah Tea Room on Broughton Street in Savannah. The decor is Mackintosh inspired and the food is incredible. If you are ever in the area, that's the place to go.

Hope these tea pots have inspired you. If you have any other great tea finds, leave me a message so I can check them out!

Designing a Party- Social Couture

2007-11-18T19:11:00.000-08:00

I'm so hoping I can have a party soon that requires me to buy table decorations from this next place. It's called Social Couture and you can order full table decorations for a variety of party themes. They are incredibly beautiful and the prices are not bad. Check out the web site and all the other party options Social Couture

Modern Shoes

2007-11-18T18:58:00.000-08:00

I would call this a modern shoe shopping experience. I found this shoe store and it is a very enjoyable shopping experience. Piperlime is a Gap company that sells only shoes. You can narrow the thousands of selections by your size, color, type, price, and more...That makes it easy to find exactly what you are looking for. When they arrive in the mail, you get a white box with green lining; your shoe boxes are wrapped in brown tissue with a lime sticker and your receipt is tucked in a green envelope. What a great way to get your new shoes. Check it out and buy some shoes that rock!

Modern Fireplace Screens?

2007-11-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for a modern fireplace screen over the past few days and I've found that it's a lot harder than one might think. There are some beautiful options out there but finding one you can afford is nearly impossible. Here is what my research has found...

Chiasso has 2 of my favorites:
Screen 1 - This is probably my all time favorite although I wonder if it would be hard to keep clean
Screen 2- This one is way too expensive but I love the way it looks!

Kitchen Accessories Unlimited
This site has some really great screens and even better tools. They act like it's a bargain but they don't seem like that great of a deal to me.

Crate and Barrel
This is actually the one we ended up going with. It's a good looking screen and the best price I found.

Fine Living
Several nice options here the first one is a great price but $700 for the last one? I don't think so.

Target
Contemporary Fireplace Screen. This is actually a bad example. I love target but this ugly screen looks anything but contemporary.

Okay, I'm tired of looking- I hope this gives you a good start to find your own modern fireplace screen.

I'm Tired of Green.

2007-10-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

I'm not trying to say that I want to kill the earth, or destroy the ozone, or leave a polluted mess for my grandkids to take care of, but I'm so tired of this "green" craze that's going on right now. I do think that in the future, green will be the only way, there won't be a differentiation between the green products and non-green products because they will all be environmentally friendly in some way or another... but right now, green is trendy. You can't go anywhere without having green shoved down your throat. There are so many things labeled "green" I wonder if it has become another subjective term like "low fat". I feel like you are not cool unless you buy "green", live "green", talk "green"... I feel guilty every time I go shopping if I don't buy the "green" product, like I'm going to be personally responsible for destroying the earth. They just promoted a news report about "green" clothing. Are you telling me I can't buy regular clothes anymore? I'm ready for green to no longer be trendy... for people to use green because there is no other option, that's just what you do, and it doesn't define your "cool" factor.

Modern vs. Contemporary

2007-10-30T14:06:00.001-07:00

I was going to write about this exact thing but I found this article on the 2Modern design blog and felt there was no reason to paraphrase another good blog. I think it's worth reading, especially since I ask myself this question often.

Modern vs. Contemporary

There is a little debate going on here that I thought I would throw some commentary on:
http://2modern.blogs.com/2modern/2007/10/2008-dream-ride.html

What is the definition of MODERN vs the definition of CONTEMPORARY?

MODERN: from the dictionary:
adjective:Characteristic or expressive of recent times or the present; contemporary or up-to-date: a modern lifestyle; a modern way of thinking.noun:One who lives in modern times.

So...by definition, anything that is of current time, is modern. So isn't everything contemporary then modern because it is of "modern time"...aka "now"? Well, no, not really...because just because it is "new", doesn't mean that it is "modern".

Why is it that classic "modern" design is defined by some as "modern" and new design is considered "contemporary"?

Is the term "modern" forever frozen in mid 20th century?

CONTEMPORARY: from the dictionary:
adjective1. Belonging to the same period of time: a fact documented by two contemporary sources.2. Of about the same age.3. Current; modern

Now I am confused..."modern" is listed under "Contemporary" and "contemporary" is listed under "Modern".

Now..."Modernism" of course is something a bit different. That term often refers to the movement from traditional forms within the art, design, architecture and literature during the 20th century.

Is it fair to say that "Modern" should be the phrase that refers to any contemporary design that is moving away from traditional forms of design? If that is the case, when does the old guard of "Modern" become more stale and traditional and the new designers of current times become more "Modern" based on the definition?

I guess there will always be "Classic Modern" defining the innovative design from the past and "Modern" which refers to "Contemporary Modern" design of now (and the future).

What's Your Design Style?

2007-10-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

I've decided I hate that question. I realize that I have a poll on the right asking just that but that's beside the point. I also realize that in my business, it's the easiest way to start to figure out what your client might want, but it's too limiting. Why do you have to limit yourself to a particular "style"? I think everyone should be allowed to have a personal style that may draw from other eras and styles but not confined by them. I tend towards a contemporary style, with touches of mid century modern, fabrics from the baroque or victorian periods, the woods of prairie style, a couple of things out of the latest pottery barn catalog, the affordability of ikea, and asian acessories. Does that give me bad taste or make me a bad designer? I don't think so. Maybe a better question is "What inspires you?". So, what inspires you?

Custom Letters

2007-04-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

I love making these custom letters for your home. Everything can be tailored to fit your style and colors. Here are a few examples but feel free to email me if you are looking for something specific.
There are several different “fonts” that are available.

Times- These letters are typically hung with ribbon although it can sit on a shelf if leaning.

Arial deep- These letters can sit on their own.

Bubble- These letters have hanging hardware attached.

Arial- These letters are typically hung although could be leaned on a shelf.

Dot- These letters work best if sitting.

Pricing: $20 per letter (+ shipping if applicable). If you would like letters to spell a word, please inquire for pricing.
To order- email everythingdesign@hotmail.com