D Pages OnLine Magazine

I'm totally taken with one of the features in this months D pages.  For those not familiar, D pages is a chic, edgy online magazine that includes some of the most inspiring rooms I've ever seen.    

The feature article was an interview of the founders of APPARATUS, which is a custom lighting company these two guys have started from scratch.  The master minds behind this company - Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson.  

These sconces are made from wooden bowls from Africa and they shield the light so it reflects off the wall (which has all that texture from the grass cloth).  Yummy.

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Here's a close up of the sconce.

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Look at this gorgeous space.  I dare say it reminds me of Domino (RIP) or the sister publication, Architectural Digest.  Take it in. 

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This entire space is working for me - the table lamps, the chandy, those velvet window treatments, the wall color.  I could go on and on here. 

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And check out the chain sconce in this image.  I have truly never seen anything like this before.  I love it when I see something and it is totally new and fresh.  

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If you would like to see more of this talented duo or see the entire Spring issue of D pages, click here D Pages.

Enjoy your day! M.

Website Highlight

If you love interiors, the real estate market, and celebrity gossip, then you MUST visit this trifecta of goodness. 

Here are a couple of my all time favorites:

Your Mama Keeps Hearing . . . 

It's about Jennifer Anniston and her $24,000,000.00 home(makes me laugh out loud).

Jenny Craig Trims Her Real Estate Fat

Honestly, I did not know that Jenny was even a real person! Who knew.

At any rate, if you have some time and need a pick me up laugh - check it out!  M.

True To Form

OK, confession time.  After the winter holidays are behind us, I'm totally over the winter season.  Period.  I'm done with the hot chocolate, scarves, sweaters and rain boots and ready for warmer weather, longer days, lighter meals, and not having to dress in layers.  There, I've said it.

Each year, I tell myself to focus on the cozy, fun aspects of winter like roaring fires and family game nights.  But my mind always goes to the warm days of summer - evening meals outside, fresh cut flowers from the backyard, the basic summer uniform of skirt, t-shirt and sandals.   

So, true to form, I've been dreaming of summer.  To get me through the next few months, I have one little trick to share - I delve into interior design blogs from the other side of the world.  Since it's summer there, they are full blown hot weather - summery fabrics, fashion and food.  If you are like me, here are a few dreamy down under spots you need to visit.  They're better than a cup of hot chocolate in my opinion!

Anna Spiro is the author of this delightful blog based in Brisbane.  She also owns a fantastic shop called Black and Spiro that gives me tons of inspiration when I'm creating design plans for clients.  I love visiting her blog this time of year, as there are tons of fresh flowers cut from the garden in her home and talk about swimming and cocktails in the afternoons.  

This amazing blog is written by Lucy Feagins, a set designer/stylist based in Melbourne who has amazing taste and such a refreshing take on interiors, especially in summer.  

This time of year, when I go to Kelly Green, I feel totally refreshed like summer is just around the corner.  This little blog packs a tons of punch - get ready! 

And Last, but certainly not least . . . 

Although not a blog, this online magazine will make your head spin with ideas and inspiration.  It is a feast for the eyes and this time of year, with the focus is summer interiors. 

So, that should keep you busy for the rest of the day.  Afterwards, you may be in such a summer mood that you go home and make a batch of margaritas. M.

Giveaway Ends Tomorrow.

If you have not entered the Shabby Apple dress giveaway I'm hosting, click here to learn how.  The deadline is tomorrow! 

My Interior Design Website

I am so excited to share my brand new website with you!  As most of you know, I left my staging company here in Birmingham this past Spring to start my own interior design firm.  At the time, I decided to do a complete makeover of my blog and also had the talented Shari Miller of Little Blue Deer come up with a logo for my interior design business.  I wanted the two logos to compliment each other.

Since then, I have been busy working on lots of fun design projects for clients and just have not had the time to put together my design website.  So, last month, I decided I needed to pull it all together.  I found I was getting lots of emails and questions from potential clients on my rates and services.  So, now all this information is online for you to see.  As my business continues to grow and I find time to have my spaces photographed, I will continue to add to my portfolio.  I want to thank each and every one of you for continuing to support my business by reading my blog, sponsoring my blog and hiring me for design jobs.  I have met so many people, both design clients and bloggers in the virtual world, who have made my year one of the most interesting to date.  So from the heart, thank you!

If you have been thinking about interior design help, I hope you will take a look at my design services to see if we could be a fit for a project in your home!  Right now, I am scheduling work about two weeks out, so let me know if you are interested, and I will put you on the calendar! M.

Website Highlight - The Queen of Craig's List

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I have a little treat for you today!  The Queen of Craig's List  is a weekly post blog by Danielle from Washington, DC.  Danielle has a primary blog, Fresh Quince, where she posts daily thoughts on interior design and other hip and happening stuff.  

But, every Friday, she selects a city in the US  and puts together a list of all the great Craig's list finds for that week.  I'm always shocked and inspired by what she finds.  If you have time, pop on over and check out the deals!

  Danielle, when are you coming to Birmingham?!?!! 

Projects I Want To Do

If you have not discovered Pinterest, I am about to rock your weekend!

I am not really even sure how to explain what Pinterest is except to say members of pinterest will "pin" anything and everything on the web that is meaningful to them.  Then you get to check out what that have found!

I absolutely dig what Shayla McCallum pins on her page.  Frankly, I had trouble deciding which of her folders to show you!  I landed on "Projects I Want To Do," but she has so many that I love.  In this folder, she has pinned DIY projects that she likes.  So basically,  it's the cliff notes for DIY projects.  Yeah, just in time for the weekend!  Enjoy!

Here's one example. 

image via

PS: I've never tried to link to Pinterest on a post, so I do hope it works.  I know there are limitations to what you can access on this website without being a member, but membership is free.  So, if you can't access it, I would encourage you to sign up for an account! 

Happy Weekend. M.

Website Highlight - The Designer's Attic & A Winner

A Winner

First, the winner of the CSN $25 gift certificate is Marie Howard (comment # 48 based on random.org number selection).  Congratulations and happy shopping!
Also, a huge thank you to everyone who commented on this giveaway and for all the new followers!  You really made my week!

 So for all those who did not win the gift certificate, I do have a little treat for you - it's this fabulous website!

Website Highlight

I have been enjoying this blog for quite some time and realized I had not shared it with you!  It's called The Designer's Attic and it is a blog written by Shannon Darby whose design firm is based in South Carolina.  She is adorable, and her blog is all about high end fabrics at affordable prices.  Each day she features a new fabric.  Usually the yardage is limited, but the prices are amazing.  She also includes images of interiors using the particular fabric - total eye candy! 

My favorite feature is her Friday, "Designer's Attic Instant Room."  She puts together a package usually including a couple (sometimes three) different coordinating fabrics and a wallpaper.  She then outlines what she would do with the fabrics to create a room.  You can then purchase the instant room for a reasonable price. In fact, most often it is already sold by the time I read the post!  Here are a few of my past favorites from the instant room. 

And yes, I did wait until Friday to post this "Website Highlight," so get over there and check out her Instant Room for the week!

The Designer's Attic

Spring Break

My children are out for Spring Break next week, so I am planning on spending my time with them and not on the computer.  Just a warning, my posting will be sporadic, at best! M. 

Something to Look Forward to . . .

It seems that online magazines are popping up as fast as blogs these days! OK, maybe not that fast.   But, this particular one is most interesting because it is being launched by Traditional Home.  I love that they are staying current and getting in there for a piece of the pie.  

  Meredith's Traditional Home has enlisted Lonny Magazine co-founders Michelle Adams and Patrick Cline to create the new online mag to compliment the Traditional Home magazine and expand it's readership to the younger tech savvy crowd.  The big reveal is scheduled for May - just in time for my birthday!  M.

Website Highlight - Open Table

Has this ever happened to you? 

 It's a random Friday afternoon, and your children are playing at a friend's house.  Just as you are getting in the car to pick them up, you get a call asking if they can stay over for the night - OF COURSE they can!  Upon realizing you are childless for the evening, it also dawns on you that you will never get a dinner reservation for a last minute date night.  

OR, how about . . . 

You take care of the kiddos with a sitter, pizza, friends and movie/games (aka stuff to do).  When your hubby walks in the door, you say "Hey!  I'm ready let's get out of here before something blows up!  Where are we off to for dinner?"  The look on his face tells it all - he has no clue (not that this has ever happened at my house, of course).

Enter the solution: 

  

With this amazingly wonderful website, you can instantly find any open table in your city!  Simply type in your city, the time you want to dine and the number of people in your party and you can actually make the reservation on their website.  You can also go to this site if you are having trouble thinking of a great place to dine, and they will give you a list at your preferred time to pick from!  I was also amazed at the number of great restaurants in Birmingham included on their list.  

Talk about easy peasey.  What does this have to do with interior design?  OK - nothing, but a girl needs a night on the town every now and then too! Have a great weekend. M.

Things Your Decorator Didn't Tell You

When working on a project, these questions seem to always come up.  Many decorators will punt on these (and send the homeowner to the painter, or wallpaper guy), but with the links below it is very easy to give the right answer.  

Question 1

"I found a fabulous chandelier, do you think it will fit in my dining room?

Answer

Size Guidelines Based on the Room's Dimensions and the size of Your Table

http://www.ehow.com/how_5068427_determine-right-size-chandelier.html

Calculate the correct size of the chandelier using this formula as a guide. 

1. If a room measures 10 by 12 feet, add 10 plus 12. The answer is 22; therefore, 22 inches should be the approximate diameter of the chandelier.
2. Measure the height of the room to determine the height of the chandelier. A common rule is 2 ½ to 3 inches for every foot of height for a room. An 8-foot room should thus have a fixture that is 20 to 24 inches in height.
3. Measure the width of the dining room table before selecting a size for the dining room. The fixture should be half the width of the table.
4. Consider the "visual weight" of the fixture. Some chandeliers will appear larger or smaller, depending upon the style. If the visual weight makes it appear light, then the diameter of the fixture can be slightly larger than the calculated size. If the visual weight appears heavy, choose a smaller-diameter fixture.    

Question 2

"Now that I have found the perfect wallpaper, how much of it do I need?"

Answer

A Wallpaper Calculator

http://www.easy2diy.com/cm/easy/diy_ht_calc_index.asp?page_id=35720776

This tool works with standard papers as well as french wallpapers!

This handy calculator will help you estimate the number of rolls of wallpaper you will need to wallpaper an interior room.
Enter the dimensions of your room:
	Feet	Inches
Room Length
Room Width
Room Height
Height of baseboard
How Many? Width of Trim (inches) Height (inches) Width (inches) Doors Windows
Square feet per roll
You will need:	TOTALS
Wallpaper		Single Rolls
Wallpaper		Double Rolls

Question 3

"I love this paint color, so how much paint do you think I am going to need?"

Answer 

The Paint Calculator

http://www.easy2diy.com/cm/easy/diy_ht_calc_index.asp?page_id=35720769

This handy calculator will help you estimate the amount of paint you will need to paint an interior room -- including all the trim. If you plan on applying a primer coat or multiple finish coats, multiply the results accordingly.
Enter the dimensions of your room:
	Feet	Inches
Room Length
Room Width
Room Height
Height of baseboard
How Many? Width of Trim (inches) Height (inches) Width (inches) Doors Windows
Square feet per gallon
	TOTALS
Paint for Walls		Gallons (4 quarts per gallon)
Paint for Ceiling		Gallons (4 quarts per gallon)
Paint for Trim		Quarts

Happy Wednesday! M.

Website Highlight - Crossfit.com

After all the food I ate this past weekend, I thought this website highlight was very appropriate.  

http://www.crossfit.com/

Crossfit.com is a free fitness website that posts a new "Workout of the Day" every day of the week.  So, you can get fit without doing the same boring routine everyday!  In addition to a new daily workout, the site contains an index of all the exercises used in each workout complete with video and slideshow demonstrations.  So you have the tools at your fingertips to get in shape. 

What a neat way to start your day, especially since more holiday treats will be coming our way during the next few weeks!

If you live in the Birmingham area, you can always let the bootcamp goddesses, Paula and Leigh, give you a work out with Every Girl Fitness.  It will not disappoint.

Sure beats the alternative . . . 

Happy Monday! M.

Website Highlight "Please Bring It"

This is such a great idea for a website.  I wish I had thought of it! 

"Please Bring It" [http://signup.pleasebringit.com/] has the subtitle of 

"Reach more. Do more. Work less." and it certainly does.  

This website is a free on line sign up sheet for any type of sign up that you may need in life.  If you are having:

•  a potluck lunch at the office and don't want to have duplicate casseroles
•  a function and need volunteers to sign up for certain times of the day
•  a classroom need (i.e., paper towels, tissue, hand sanitizer) and the teacher needs only a few of each item or
•  any other type of sign up.  

The great thing about it is that it is on line so everyone can go to the site and immediately see the updates.  No "reply all" to the group or one person having to resend an updated list of who has signed up for what.  This is one very useful tool.  

Question:

How does this relate to interior design?

Because with it, you can save so much time and energy that can be spent focusing on this:

or this

or even this!

Weekend - Bring it!

I hope your weekend is filled to the brim with fun, relaxing, extremely enjoyable activities.

  Happy Friday! 

http://www.thepartydress.net/2009/09/tailgating-101/

Website Highlight - Spoonflower.com

There are so many amazing websites these days related to design that if you have
the time and interest, you can really create some wonderfully unique and amazing interiors.  

One such website, www.spoonflower.com allows you to create your very own fabrics!  Imagine the possibilities.  In addition to a format that allows you to create exclusive custom designs that you (and only you) will have in your home, you can search fabrics that others have created and are willing to share.  

Look how great these fabrics would be in a child's room:

Start with an orange comforter, and then do a large euro sham in this whale fabric.

Then on to window treatments in this chevron pattern.

  

Throw in a pleated bed skirt in this gray stripe.

Lastly, you could create a custom fabric with your child's name on it for a simple bolster on the bed.

Very fun!  If you have some spare time this weekend, get creative on www.spoonflower.com!