Connect the dots

I'm kind of smitten with this little pillow today.

Every now and then I find something really amazing from Land's End.

I love them because their prices are so reasonable.

My favorite thing about the pillow is how the polka dots have a painted look

that makes them more interesting and more chic than plain old polka dots.

It reminds me of a few other dotted designer fabrics that I love, Circo from Lee Jofa

and Tika from Lisa Fine, one of my favorite textile designers.

I've been thinking you could recreate this look with some diluted fabric paint

and a pencil eraser for a small scale look, or a round sponge for a large scale dot.

I haven't had the chance to try it out yet, but it could be a fun DIY.

Any takers?

I love a little bit of polka dot in an unexpected place.

It can take a sophisticated room and keep it from feeling too stuffy.

You expect to see a little bit of polka dot in a child's room

(love this from Jessica Helgerson)

but look how awesome it is in this office

And how Jamie used this ikat dot in her bedroom featured in High Gloss.

But my all time favorite use of any ikat/dots has to bee these chairs from Lilly Bunn Weekes.

Jenny turned me on to her blog last year and it has been a favorite read.

Do you have any dots in your life?

DIY Desk

I haven't been able to stop obsessing over this gorgeous orange desk spotted over at Full House. It reminds me of one I sold at my yard sale last summer and was so sad to part with.

I think these days I'm kind of in need of an orange colored desk in my life.

It quickly occurred to me that the lovely piece above could be recreated with a few easily accessible items:

This classic piece from the country living collection at Kmart or a craigslist find

A few cans of Krylon pimento spray paint

and some ring pulls.

Done and done. Let me know how it turns out.

p.s. wouldn't this look amazing with one of my zebra chairs?

inexpensive x-stool

I got quite a few e-mails enquiring about the stools pictured in decorating your first apartment. 

These were a great deal and simple DIY.  We started by purchasing these stools from Sears. This is the best deal I have found on any sort of x-stool and I have searched far and wide. 

I loved the shape but the cheetah had to go.  We decided to go with this inexpensive trellis fabric that I posted about a while back. All we needed was about a yard and half of fabric, a staple gun and voila! 

Be sure to keep me posted if you try this at home. 

for the front door

I'm loving this creative wreath idea made from polaroids. 

Simple, easy, and inexpensive. You could also replicate this with normal pictures. 

Seen via Apartment Therapy, originally from Merriment Design.

the ultimate DIY

Cute Kirsten just made her own imperial trellis fabric. Talk about the ultimate DIY Project. I'm sure it was filled with blood, sweat, and lots of tears. 

Check out her darling blog here. 

Just fake it: Do it yourself wallpaper

Every time I go to my local design center I thumb through the gorgeous wallpapers and stare with envy. My current living situation is temporary meaning no paint, no wallpaper. SO what's a girl to do? Get creative. 

There is one wall in particular that just needed a little something fun, and I decided green would do the trick. A few drops of glue, a roll of floral tape and voila, wallpaper in an hour for the cost of a latte. 

Don't you love it when I get all creative on you? 

I'll post a play by play in the next few days. 

Here comes the sun

You may have noticed that sunburst mirrors seem to be popping up in every nook and cranny of the design world these days. I happen to love this trend and I always seem to a get a little butterfly in my stomach when I spot one in a beautiful room. 

The problem is, that these gorgeous mirrors usually seem to come with a matching price tag, which doesn't always work for the budget minded. 

Lucky for all of us, I had a little moment in the antique store a few weeks ago when I spotted this vintage syrocco clock. Suddenly I had an idea, what if I took this piece swapped out the clock piece with a precut mirror and voila, instant chicness. 

I was giddy just thinking about it. 

I took the piece home and began to deconstruct it. Once the clock face was off I sponged the whole face of the clock with liquid silver leaf since the gold tones wouldn't really work in my bedroom. I bought a precut mirror at my local craft store and with a couple of drops of glue, we were good to go. 

This was the stage at which I noticed my adorable toddler decided to break off one of the rays but we won't get in to that. I still love the result and the broken ray has since been mended. 

All in all this project cost me about $32.00. 

$24.00 for the clock

$3.50 for the silver leaf paint

$2.99 for the precut mirror

Not bad for a days work. 

If you're interested in trying to recreate this there are a handful of great clock options on ebay. Mine was vintage Syroco. 

a pretty patten can be anywhere

I saw this patterned tablecloth at world market the other week and made a mental note of how much I liked it, thinking maybe I could use it in a future project. Then the other day I spotted this tutorial on style at home and I recognized the tablecloth turned into an entry bench. I'm glad someone put this to lovely pattern to use! 

Also, if you're interested in taking on this project, just know it is amazingly easy. My pal Jenny over at Little Green Notebook has a great tutorial too. I just did one with a client and it turned out darling and so easy.

DIY-Gumdrop Wreath

I was with a friend/client today and we went shopping for her holiday decorations. It was so much fun and I can't wait to deck the halls with all the goodies we bought.

We spent a while debating what kind of wreath she should do, and we finally decided on gumdrops. Ever since this was featured in Martha Stewart a few years back I can't get enough. I told her I would send her instructions but I thought I would share them with all of you as well!

Aren't all these photos lovely? It is amazing what a google search can produce!

moss

It seems that moss is popping up everywhere, especially for the holidays. 

I've always been a big fan and if I were decorating for Christmas this year, moss would be in abundant supply. If you're interested in adding your own mossy touch, check out this wreath tutorial from Martha or snatch up some moss accoutrements from this handy site. 

Oh the possibilities.

In my parent's home they have a beautiful glass table with steel sawhorse legs. The home is a very rustic craftsman style with a lot of natural elements and this dining table has always been the singular modern element in the home. Someday I'll have to post pictures. 

Anyway...When I saw these saw horse legs I was instantly reminded of that dining table. And when I saw the price I just died. Can you imagine all the wonderful ways you could top these? 

Since I have a little one I think I would go with a hardwood in chalkboard paint like the one pictured below from ohdeedoh. 

the look for less-inlaid mother of pearl

I've been spotting lots of gorgeous pieces lately with inlaid mother of pearl. 

I love the timeless and bohemian look of these pieces, but their price tags usually leave me running the other direction. 

The other day when watching HGTV I was reminded of an awesome project that Kim Myles of Myles of Style did when she was a contestant on design star. She used tiny sticker labels to block out a design on simple white coffee table and then painted over it. Once the labels were removed it gave the effect of an inlaid piece. 

SO genius. My mind is spinning, too many ideas, gotta go! 

DIY

I am always on the hunt for a good DIY project (there are about six pieces of furniture in my garage waiting for a makeover) and these little side tables from Sunset Magazine are one of the most creative ideas I have come across for a while. One of my best friends had gorgeous tables like this in her home when we were growing up. Her mother had flawless taste and their tables were a beautiful antique version that housed small collectibles and pretty things.

I think I may have to add these to my project list! Click here for detailed instructions.