Pots // blues, yellows & metallics

Today's Agenda:  What are rainy days for?  Trips to Container Store!  It's one of the places where I can go from my parking garage to their parking garage and not worry about lugging lots of things in the rain. 

I'm loving these pots from Anthropologie...and such good prices!  Would be pretty on a desk -- with some with plants, others with pens and notepads, etc.

 

 

 

Under the Sea

Today's Agenda:  Finish some tweaks to a design board for a new project!  Excited!

My daily tasks include coffee, breakfast, email, and checking Anthropologie sale items.  It's sad, but true.  Sometimes there are really great pieces that could make a room.

Today, I'm thinking about this guy.

Maybe with this sofa...

 

And this coffee/side table...

And two of these hanging lamps over ends of sofa...

That was fun -- now back to "real" work :)

Craigslist Finds

Today's Agenda:   Continue to upload pieces to the website -- i'm actually really close now!  hooray!

The weekends are a time for me to do a bunch of work on the computer at home.  Design boards, business stuff like Quickbooks and taxes and just getting inspired.  I love running around getting errands done and seeing what's in the stores but I'm trying to be smart about my time since I do have flexibility in my schedule.  So the week is spent visiting client projects, scampering among lots of marshalls and targets in the city when the aisles are clear and stock is abundant, seeing friends and hitting the gym and trying not to overschedule myself (yeah, right :)). 

What this really means is that I have lots of time on the weekend to get sucked into Craigslist searches.

Which is not for not.  Recently, I've found two retro red leather chairs for $75 each, a vanity and sink for $75 from Ikea (the sink alone is $100 @ Ikea right now), a cane back chair with Schumacher fabric for $45.  Pretty good.  And the money saved was totally worth the time spent surfing and no real hassle to get any of these items. 

So, I try to limit my searches with search terms so I'm not just roaming the aisles.  (But, occassionally I do just roam the aisles.  Which I love doing in real life stores too.  And have always loved doing that in libraries.  Who knows what you'll find!).  Common searches are vintage, modern, west elm, parsons, rosewood. 

Here are few of the items I came across this weekend...clearly, I need to get my storage space asap.  Running out of room at La Casa :)

What are some of your Craigslist search terms?  And, have you seen MoS' online shop?  I love it and feel like I have passed on a few items simply due to lack of storage space!  I love this idea -- an edited Craigslist!  Great prices and style. 

loveseat - from 1950s-1960s made by Ross Furniture Company in North Carolina. $100.

wicker back chair.  $40.

vintage cherry cabinet. $295.

Harvey Probber-styled club chair and ottoman.  $250.

I love picturing a room around each of these pieces.  Especially that green!  With caramel colors...or burnt orange.  Even a pale blue wall??  So many fun options.

{End note:  I have to say that this here bed bug epidemic has slightly tainted my Craigslisting activities...what's a girl to do though???  I guess it could happen to new stuff too if it's in a warehouse, etc...Ugh.  And there is such sensationalism around the mighty bed bug too -- the close-ups, weird sound effects.  Totally unnecessary.  I mean really, media, really??}

Friday's Organizing Item

It's been awhile since I have done my Friday's Organizing Item piece!  Between recovering from my surgery and helping husband out since he was sentenced to 6-7 weeks of crutches + air cast + no weight on his right foot, I haven't been in much of a routine and just trying to juggle it all (which I do feel pretty good about).  Now that I back into my routine a bit more, things like Friday's Organizing Item are back on!

So, this week's Friday's Organizing Item is...

This basket!  I know, another basket.  BUT this one is IT.  It's sturdy.  Doesn't have any weird rounded edges so that the stuff that supposed to go IN the basket ends up spilling out of it.  Is fun because it has a chalkboard label thing on it.  And is less than $30 for a really strong basket that can be used anywhere.  Great for kids toys!!  But also newspapers, catalogs, even pots and pans that you don't use often especially if you had an open kitchen and could tuck them under the counter so you wouldn't totally forget about them but they'd be more out of sight than out of mind.  I bought two for a project I'm currently working on so you may see them in all their glory in the after photos...stay tuned!

Before and After: Playroom Redesign - The Big Picture

Today's Agenda:  Finally posting about one of my favorite before and afters to date! 

I recently finished putting the final touches on the redesign of a playroom!!  Last summer I was fortunate enough to work on this family's home office and this summer I was thrilled when they called to see if I would be up for re-designing their playroom.  I mean, who wouldn't be up for designing a playroom???!

But this isn't just any ol' playroom...in this family's Capitol Hill rowhouse, they have a great space at the top of the second floor landing area between the bedrooms.  The goal was to make the space BOTH a fun place for their little tike to dump out all of his toys on the floors that they could later clean up easily AND a place where this couple could cozy up on the couch with a glass of wine and the latest Mad Men episode.

So, off I went to reconcile these two ideas...a few more facts about this mission:

-- Keep the wall color (a lime green; great paint job and fun color).
-- Add storage for toys.
-- Get rid of the two mismatched chairs (one a desk chair...i know, it happens) and find a comfortable, small-ish, child-friendly sofa.

I was bad about taking for real before pictures but captured these post-sofa purchase and post-built-in installation photos so you can get the idea of what this space looked like just before I came in and did the installation of everything else...

Basically, lots of unused spaces -- see that nook to the left?? Perfect for bedtime storytelling.  What about the fireplace that is bricked in?  Hello, chalkboard paint!

 And we needed to streamline patterns and art to make it more purposeful.  (I think i use the word "purposeful" a lot...but I mean it and am sincere about it...so I will continue to use it)

Here's that reading nook!  Curtain was already there and had seen better days, especially since there are pretty decent, inexpensive curtain options out there. And sneak peek of built-ins with the bins we bought but pre-styling...

I wanted to cover up the books too -- the built-ins are so functional but end up looking a little cluttered when you are trying to wind down for the evening.

 This is the sofa we found!  Perfect size.  Great color.  Durable fabric.  And affordable price.  Met all reqs!!

This is a "during" photo.  Before I start installing I always remove everything from the room to have as much of a clean slate as possible.  Then I add the things I want to include piece by piece.  Try it at home when you are cleaning and rearranging!  It makes results that much better.  And a good chance to clean in all of the nooks and crannies you never get to.

Ah, the window has been freed from the orange!!  So much more light!  And great place for spying on neighbors :) I mean, daydreaming...

OK.  Now that you have seen before.  And during.  Are you ready for after??

Here it is.

 Let's do before again, because it's just fun.

And, my favorite part of the room -- the revived reading nook!

And, before of the nook!

Did we meet our goal for a place to store toys and a place to watch Mad Men??

Here's the storage...

And the Mad Men viewing area! 

 

Found a solution for a place to set a glass of wine @ night and coffee @ day that's out of the way just in case lil' tike comes back out while they are watching TV and then won't knock it over...and some task lighting that's out of the way and can be directed in case one person wants to watch TV and the other read. You know that happens. 

I'm really happy with how this turned out!  And we did it on a budget.  More details tomorrow about, well, all the details...(I'm trying out some fun things with Photoshop so stay tuned...).   Come back and check it out!

Treasures

Today's Agenda:  Back in DC, got outside for a walk tonight and love being able to see the monuments and a fun mix of tourists and locals.  New sneaks too from 6pm.com after MoS recommended 6pm.com -- definite score. 

Busy weekend -- wrapped up a redesign of a living/dining/deck space(s), hit the flea market with my best flea market partner-in-crime, caught up with friends and family and then back to DC.  Some of the fun pieces we saw @ the flea market...

 A whole set of glasses for your next True Blood/goth party :)

There were 2 of these!  A bit scary but painted all a light soft gray...in a playroom.  Definite statement.

 Scary...

I wanted this cabinet.  Just beautiful.  Perfect in a walk in dressing area for shoes.

 Crazy good deal for this.  And what a piece for this new project where the client wants a bit of a 60s feel to the room...

Best piece of the day.  It's a bar cart...

...now a larger serving table.  So easy to turn it into a table with a pull of that one button.  Only $125.  Just plain cool.

 Wanted this brass lamp.  I'm drawn to brass now.  It knows where to find me.

I actually bought these lamps.  $8/each.  They work and just need some equally cool shades.

Pretty, pretty blue.

I wasn't sure want to make of this punch bowl.  What could you serve in it that would actually look appetizing???  Maybe just for display, for that splash of color?

Visits to flea markets are always fun!  Came away with the lamps, a chair for a client that was only $25 and a couple of sweet small framed prints of Greenport, NY for $2/each, two aqua Ball jars, piece of Irish linen with a London scene on it and a lot of great ideas...

Really??

Today's Agenda:  There are good and bad parts about my new career.  Just as there is with anything, right???  In the beginning, everything was great.  Just like it is with any new relationship :)  Then there are parts that aren't so fun that start to rear their ugly little head.  Let's just say things like Quickbooks aren't on my top 5 list of most fun things to do...And right now certain contractors aren't on my list of favorite things to deal with either :)   All necessary and completely valid and just part of the job.  BUT I'm happy to say that today was one of those days where I left work with a huge smile on my face knowing I had done a good job, client was happy and another room that was styled oh so nicely!  (If I do say so myself...I am my harshest critic so I think that's okay then...)  I'm not ready to blog about that project yet -- have a few more items to purchase hopefully at the Raleigh antique market tomorrow and then some phoTOS need to be taken...stay tuned. 

BUT first I have to tell you about THE chair. 

The Chair with the Schumacher Chiang Mai Fabric.  Was scrolling through Craigslist.  Yes, clearly, a little aimlessly and what do I find???  This baby.

$45.  5 minutes from my house.  Pick up that night.  I emailed immediately; she responded.  I picked it up.  (And some of the leftover fabric, that actually has the dragon on it...) And am so loving it.  It's the first thing I see when I come out of my bedroom and I love that.  It has no real purpose except to look good and I sort of love that too.  One day she could be in an office or part of a breakfast nook.  For now, she stands alone and just looks pretty and is a perfect spot for me to sit and lace up my running shoes. 

Some other shots...I had to share with my friend Dina of the Honey & Fitz blog who understood why I was dancing around the apartment.  Husband was a little concerned but I think now understands.

Tech Savvy

Today's Agenda:  Finally going through that bag of phone cords, blackberry chargers and other random tech stuff that I keep moving from closet to closet...we finally got rid of our home phone and I'm also (finally!) blackberry-free so really really no need for ALL of this stuff...

BUT maybe I should have saved all of those floppy disks I had from law school...this is pretty cute!  Especially if the couple were both really into technology...or really NOT into technology...