Happeez Clipper from See Jane Work, Inspiron Laptop from Dell, Recycled Tin Tray from CB2, Sigg Frames Screw Top Aluminum Water Bottle from REI, Style-It Desk System from PB Teen, Freedom Task Chair from LaDifference, Mix and Match Locker System from PB Teen
Monthly Archives: August 2008
Back to School
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Filed under Friday Collage
Happeez Clipper from See Jane Work, Inspiron Laptop from Dell, Recycled Tin Tray from CB2, Sigg Frames Screw Top Aluminum Water Bottle from REI, Style-It Desk System from PB Teen, Freedom Task Chair from LaDifference, Mix and Match Locker System from PB Teen
Chugging Toward the First Day: The Teachers Lounge
Filed under Current Projects
I won’t bore you with my boring but busy life reasons for not posting. Suffice it to say, the first day of school is fast approaching, and besides running Decorate Your Space, I am running a family.
I spent hours at the high school yesterday. The afternoon portion was filled with screwing legs on tables and chairs, breaking screws on legs of chairs, (OK only one, but it created enough work to seem like more…), lugging giant rolls of carpet through the school, cleaning endless piles of tiny static Styrofoam pieces, getting scolded for ripping down a hideous bulletin board without permission, and sweating in the humidity.
The Teachers Lounge is looking good. I had a wonderful helper, the PTSO President Annette, who worked without complaint, and even called her husband to rescue us and fix the broken chair. We still need to work on decorating the walls. We plan to use rub on quotes along the long narrow space near the tables, but we are still working on the implementation. We would also like the staff to have a place to post items about their lives and I think I need one long panel to the left of that skinny window. And the coffee station does not yet exist.
See the Before here and the original plan here.
Give a Hoot
Filed under Friday Collage
Hand Hooked Owl Pillow from Ballard Designs, Owl Printed Door Mat from Pottery Barn, Hooty Owl Canvas Reproduction from Posh Tots, Ceramic Owl by Jonathan Adler, Olivetta Owl Organic Duvet Cover and Sham from Pottery Barn, Daum “Love” Owl from Horchow.com, Owl Invasion Apron from Anthropologie, Owly Love White Owl Crochet Lace by LaWood at Etsy.com, Tree Owl Lamp from Anthropologie
Getting Better: The Teachers Lounge
Filed under Current Projects
I posted before about the scary Teachers Lounge at our local high school and the plan I came up with to make it a place you would actually Lounge in.
Less than two weeks for school to start and we are in the thick of it. The lights have been replaced and attempts are being made to get the horror out of the carpet. The furniture is waiting to be placed. The frantic searching for money for coffee has commenced. My favorite carpet business, AC Flooring, is giving me some remnants tomorrow for area rugs.
This place is transforming!
For the Cramped Landing Strip
Filed under Foyers and Entryways, Rooms
Landing Strips don’t always come with the luxury of SPACE. Some homes have just a few feet at the entrance making the need for organization even more paramount.
A simple set of hooks can be enough to provide a spot for items usually dumped on the nearest piece of furniture.
Have a designated hook for each family member. Filigree Monogram Hooks from Ballard Designs suit a more traditional scheme.
The Gum Hook, from Design Within Reach, suits a more contemporary decor. It is made of soft silicone that grips the item and prevents it from falling off.
The Traditional Amber Glass Hook is acceptable for most tastes. It is available at Restoration Hardware.
About ten years ago when my kids were small, I put four Restoration Hardware hooks on a scrap board I found in a heap of trash at Lowe’s. The board still had bark on it and was kind of green with what looked like moss or algae. I used it for years, in three homes. I had to leave it in our former townhouse because it was lug bolted to the studs–by then we had heavy backpacks–and I had wallpaper put up around it. I remember my friend, who was also interested in design, had tried to copy it by beating a board with a hammer. Yikes. Let’s just refer to that as the Early Rustic Years…
Furniture for the Landing Strip
Filed under Foyers and Entryways, Rooms
Sometimes getting organized means making a purchase. Pottery Barn has some excellent and reasonably priced furniture solutions to help with landing strip organization.
The Brady System creates a space for each family member, but requires quite a bit of floorspace. It is conceivable that a system could be placed in a garage right next to the door.
The Samantha Corner Bench and Shelf will work if the only room available is a corner. This is a good solution for townhomes short on entry space. But get it now; it is on clearance.
The Entryway Dog Bed Cubby surprised me by its functionality. This is a great idea, and the baskets create a tidy look. I wonder if a pet would really use it?
The Landing Strip
Filed under Foyers and Entryways, Rooms
Here is Virginia, school starts in two weeks. And with the busier days comes messier houses. An excellent way to contain some of the back-to-school madness is to create a landing strip.
A landing strip is the space at the most frequently used entrance to the house where items tend to collect. The easiest way to control the inevitable clutter is to analyze the exact problem. Children drop backpacks in anticipation of an after-school snack. Families with pets end up with leashes and water bowls blocking the path out the door. Sports equipment turns to an obstacle course. Mail and keys are frequently pitched and forgotten.
Carefully consider your space and your household habits. Frequently used items should find a permanent home near the door. Add a piece of furniture to the entrance of your house if ample room exists. A console table with deep drawers is recommended so that clutter can be hidden away, but a small simple table can be outfitted with a basket or a box for keys and mail. Reorganize the nearest closet with baskets or shelves for each family member. In some cases, all that is needed is a hook attached to the wall.
Using your landing strip requires dedication at first. But before long, placing everything in its dedicated space becomes habit.
Decorating Dilemma #5
Rank and File
Never line accessories up like soldiers standing in a straight row.
Adding dimension is an important part of placing objects for display. Groups of items look better when arranged in an odd number. Remember the adage “shiny, matte, tall and fat” when positioning accessories. Items that look too similar are usually boring. Objects can have a common denominator, like texture, material or color, but need not exactly match.
It is a common mistake to use accessories that are too small. Scale is always key to good design, and if in doubt, bigger is usually better. One large painting looks better than a group of small ones. The eye must take a visual rest now and then, so leave some surfaces empty and some walls bare.
What Colors!
Filed under Friday Collage
Teardrop Chandelier from Anthropologie, Optic Utensil Set from Chiasso, Karlstad chair from Ikea, Bargello Waves Pillow from Jonathan Adler, Nelson Ball Clock from Design Within Reach, Rondo Rug from Chiasso, Astrid Chair in Passiflora from Anthropologie, PS Vallo Watering Cans from Ikea, Angela Adams Graphics Tiles from Ann Sacks, Bullseye Cocktail Napkins from CB2
Colin Cowie Chic
Filed under Book Review, Look What I Found!
Colin Cowie Chic, The Guide To Life As It Should Be, by Colin Cowie, is a pretty little book. Small in size, the texturized dust jacket paper is embossed in a rich brown croc print. The pages are filled with bright fuchsia and avocado blocks of text and color. The photos inside stay true to the color scheme throughout. Even the black and white images are actually brown and white.
The content is just as easy to peruse. Colin Cowie is a professional stylish who presents a lifestyle that is indulgent, carefree and above all, glamorous. The first three chapters are dedicated to organizing the home with a heavy emphasis around entertaining. Later chapters cover travel, office politics, identity theft, exercise, fashion and even how to avoid a hangover.
My home is my refuge, my playground, my base of operations, my pride and joy. I use my living room sofa, my dining room table, my very best china. My crystal stemware, and every single one of my favorite things as often as possible– and I do so with pleasure and gratitude that they’re mine.
Couldn’t agree with that more.
