Design Insights and Inspiration

One Door at a Time

August 8, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: black doors, design, kitchen

There’s nothing like having a blog with recorded posts to remind me about my very slow progress with projects! A long while back, I painted our interior foyer door black and vowed that I would do the rest of the interior doors, one at a time. Well…. flash forward a little over a year, and I have painted one more! I hope I’m not the only one who moves at a snail’s pace with my home! The best time for me to paint is at night. The house is quiet and I can concentrate on what I’m doing. But, it’s also not the best lighting! So, it probably takes me even longer, because I want to make sure I get in every crevice so that I don’t have to take the paint brush back out the next day to fix what I have missed. I literally had a flash light to the door to catch any missed spots! And anytime you are painting a very dark color over a light one, there’s always the need for at least 2-3 coats. OK, so with all of my complaining, you can now see why I waited a year to do a second door. 🙂 I chose to paint our kitchen door next, which goes into our newly finished basement. After all that work, here she is…

I am really happy with how it turned out! As with the foyer, I went with Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore. It’s a muddy gray/brown/black color that is so soft and neutral. I like the way it pops against our builder grade faux brass door knobs, making them feel more current. The paint is in a semi gloss finish, which will clean up nicely and gives a fun, shiny style to the door.

Hopefully, you won’t have to wait a year + to see the next door! 🙂

Our Basement Shelf Style Reveal!

August 5, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: basement, design, kids and design, shelf styling

With the previous post being about the basement, I thought I should just jump right in and write about another finished area of the space. {Don’t you just love checking projects off the list?!?} This was a big project to tackle, as I had the contractors put together a 54 cube unit bookshelf. I will reveal the secret to how this was done, later in the post! As with any home, we needed additional storage… a place for our books and mementos and a spot for all of the kiddos books and treasures. I have always been a fan of bookshelves that hold more than just books! It’s also a great place to display family photographs, art, sculptural objects, etc. So here it is…

Bookshelves Hold More Than Books…………………

As you can see, there were a lot of shelves to fill! For a while there, I wasn’t sure we would have enough books and stuff to fill it, but I was wrong. If you look hard enough in your home, you can find it! For these shelves, the top section is for our things and the bottom half holds all of the kid stuff. I love pairing the everyday {books} with something unique {sculptural pieces, objects, etc.} It adds depth to your shelves and tells more of a story about you! I also try to use the entire shelf… layering pictures either in front or behind books. That gives the illusion of more shelf space. And I also like to lay the books both horizontally and vertically. It pleases the eye to see different heights and proportions when looking at the shelf and makes it that much more interesting. When deciding what to do with the top row of shelves, I knew I wanted to add texture with woven baskets. Since we don’t have an IKEA nearby, I knew it would be pricey to find 9 of the same size baskets. So, I went to my trusty TJ Maxx and decided to just find 9 similar baskets with different shapes. I actually think I like it better than having them all the same. Each cube measures 12×12, so I just brought along my measuring tape to the store and measured as I shopped! I definitely recommend that when looking for a particular size basket. I was surprised to see that some of the baskets were too big, when I thought they would fit perfectly. It saved me a trip to the return counter! At the beginning of this post, I said I would reveal the secret to the way these shelves were made. Well… they are just 6 sets of the Martha Stewart cube shelving from Home Depot! I had the contractors buy these shelving units, remove the backs on them and build them into the wall. They connected them together and added the baseboard and crown molding to give them a true built in look. I also plan to add a framed piece of art or mirror to one of the outside shelves. I have always loved that look!

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What have you checked off your project list lately??

Our Basement Kid’s Nook Reveal!

August 2, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, basement, design, kids and design

Our basement was finished in the middle of May, and I am excited to show the first complete nook in the space! The basement was renovated primarily as a fun place for the kids to play. It’s also great for us, because all of the toys can be relocated to this floor! So, I thought it would make sense to start with one of their spaces first. We had the contractors paint an entire wall with chalkboard paint as a great place to get creative and have fun! This zone is for drawing, crafting,and anything they can imagine up! Enjoy!

Design With Kids in Mind……………………………..

Sorry for the large amount of photos! It was a sunny day, so I went a little crazy. Our windows are not very big in the basement, so it was great to be able to have this natural light stream in. We have had a lot of fun with this chalkboard wall. I wrote this bear quote from one of our favorite book series… The Berenstein Bears! When we’re ready to erase and draw something new, we just use a white sock. To really get it cleaned, I occasionally go over the chalkboard with a wet cloth. You might be wondering if the chalk mess is an issue on the carpet. To fix that problem, we only buy dust free chalk, which my mom found at Staples. {Thanks, mom!} When they really get coloring, some chalk dust falls to the baseboard. But, it is really minimal and easy to vacuum. Much easier than regular chalk would be! We keep the chalk and sock eraser in small plastic cups in a basket. The plastic cups can easily be washed out, when needed. The Oh The Thinks You Can Think quote was done on canvas as an inexpensive, whimsical way to add some art. I wrote about the simple process, HERE. The rest of the art has come from the creative kiddos. They love that it is truly their space and feel proud to show off what they have made! We love being able to have this extra square footage in the house and the kids love it, too.

Happy Friday!!

Down Linens Pillow Review and Discount Code for You!

July 29, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: pillows

I was recently contacted by a representative from Down Linens to try out a pair of their gel pillows for review. This came at the perfect time, because our master bedroom pillows had seen better days. To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to get, since I had never heard of gel pillows before. When they arrived in the mail, I was super impressed and excited. They were heavy, plush and ultra soft. They feel lush and soft like down pillows, yet are supposed to have more support and firmness. The gel fibers contain breathable materials and it’s hypoallergenic and easy to wash.

Trying them out on our monogrammed pillow cases…

Not only do they look plush and luxurious, they are so comfortable for sleeping! I thought it might hurt my neck being so plush, but the fibers allow you to sink in and adjust to your comfort level. I am absolutely smitten with them! I actually love them more than any down filled pillows I have tried in the past. My husband loves his for reading, too, since it’s a great pillow to prop up for extra comfort.

In this last picture, you can tell how plush they really are… the pillow under the covers on the left side is the new pillow, while the right side has our old one! Just wait until you try it… you will love it, too!

Now it’s your time to shop, because Down Linens is giving all of my readers 15% off any of their purchases on the site! This site has more than just pillows: you can also shop comforters, duvet covers, mattress pads and throw blankets! At checkout, just include this product code: ITSGELTIME15

Happy Shopping!!

There’s Still Time To Shop My Tastemaker Collection!

July 28, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: arcadian home, design, personal design style

I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend! I wanted to pop in and say that there is still time to shop my Traditional Eclectic Tastemaker Collection from Arcadian Home {2 days left, in fact!}. As promised, here is a round up of some of my favorite pieces still left in the collection…

Joma Hand Woven Wool Rug

This coral rug would look pretty in a little girl’s room or chic layered over a jute rug in the living room. I love this colored paired with golds and mushroom browns.

Jamie Patna Mirrored Serving Trays

These trays would work well on a dining room buffet filled with serving ware or on a coffee table with a few small books and a vase of fresh flowers.

Jonas Impala Horns

I think I have to pick this one up for myself! It would look amazing as part of a gallery wall in any room.

Hillcrest Cube Pouf

I love this mushroom brown color paired with coral! This would look stunning in the same room with the striped runner, above. So many possibilities with poufs. Kinda wish I had one in every room!

There are still 2 shopping days left to take advantage of these amazing discounted prices.

Happy Shopping!!ï»¿

My Curated Collection for Arcadian Home is Live!

July 24, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: arcadian home, design, personal design style

I am so excited to make this announcement today! My curated design collection for Arcadian Home just went live and will run until July, 30th at 11:59 pm PST. If you are new to this site, Arcadian Home is a flash sale site that brings the best of home decor to one place. The items are discounted from their regular retail price, so you will always find a great deal when shopping here. There are so many choices and brands to shop from… be prepared to be on their site for a while, since you will fall in love with it! If you are not currently a member, sign up is free and only requires an e-mail address and password! Here is a sneek peek into my sale…

I want to thank Arcadian Home for asking me to be their designer for this tastemaker collection. I truly believe in every single item in my little curated shop. I would put all of it my own home or suggest it all for clients. It truly represents my style and aesthetic, which is traditional modern, with an eclectic twist. Since I love to blend different styles together to get that collected look, I aptly named this collection The Traditional Eclectic. Start your shopping HERE!! If you see something you love, act fast on it, because items sell out quickly on this site. Throughout the sale, check back here, as I will be featuring my favorite items from the sale! Make sure to also pin your favorite pieces and mention them on twitter and facebook to help spread the word! Also, a special thanks to my e-design client for allowing me to feature her keeping room as the design inspiration for the collection. 🙂

My family might only care about this little tidbit, but as a side note, if you just visit the main page HERE, you will see all of the sales scroll by, including my own. I said to myself, ‘Oh! There I am!’ Pretty cool, I think! 🙂

Happy Shopping!!ï»¿

A New Face on Our Wall

July 22, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, living room, this piece has history

Recently, I went to an antique fest with my mom that we visit every summer. Vendors come from all over and stay for the weekend, bringing their unique and special treasures for us to hunt and find. I didn’t leave empty handed this year. In fact, there’s now a new member of the family on our living room wall.

Our Newest Addition…

I love the history that it brings to the room, with its stature and military background. My husband was in the army several years ago, so it also brings a meaningful quality to the space. My mom thought it would look great beside our secretary desk, which has its own special history. The decision was made, once we tried it on that wall. And here he is…

The colors on his jacket, the frame finish and even his blushed cheeks work so well with the color palette in this room. The real shocker was the price! I almost didn’t even ask, because I thought it was going to be out of my budget and too good to be true. When they told me it was $10, I couldn’t believe it! What a deal! I’m all for trying to get the best deal, but I didn’t even think I needed to negotiate this price down. And I love that I was able to hang it right up, without changing a thing. I will have to keep an eye on it, though… my mom wanted to take it off our walls when I wasn’t looking. 🙂

Have you found any unique, ‘had to have’ pieces lately??ï»¿

{DIY} Creating Your Own Canvas Script Art

July 18, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, basement, kids and design

Once we finished our basement, I already had tons of design ideas swimming around in my head. I knew the space would come together little by little, so I decided to focus on zones of the basement, in order to tackle each project a step at a time. Currently, it’s the chalkboard wall/kid’s area of the basement that’s getting some attention. I wanted to create a large piece of art on a small budget, so I started with a blank canvas (literally)! I bought a 24×36 size canvas board, with the intent to write a fun, kid friendly quote on the board as the art. We love reading Dr. Seuss books in our house, so I asked the kids to give me their favorite quote from the beloved Dr. Seuss book, Oh The Thinks You Can Think. It didn’t take them long to decide on one… together! I was so excited that they agreed, so I got right to work, before either could change their mind. In about 15 minutes time, here is the end result…

The Finished Product …

To recreate this project, this is what you’ll need…

The Materials …

– Deco Color Acrylic Paint Pen (The kids chose green.)
– 24×36 Canvas board from your local craft store.
– Measuring tape
– Pencil
– A favorite quote

Step by Step …

1. Lay your canvas board on a flat, workable surface. (I just chose our kitchen floor!)

2. Prep your paint pen by shaking it with the top on, removing the cap and then pressing the pen down on a paper towel. That gets the paint to flow. You could even practice your writing skills, too!

3. Use your tape measure to make small pencil marks along the side of your canvas. That will ensure your lines are evenly spaced. I decided to make 4″ rows, so my words are big enough to read and more dramatic.

4. Have your book nearby and slowly copy the quote, one word at a time. Make sure you step back and check your work every few words. Once the word is written, there is no erasing!

5. Now, it’s time to hang your work and enjoy! I hung ours to the left of the chalkboard wall and surrounded it with my kids art. I hung the art with colorful duckling tape and they loved the result! They were giddy as they read the quote. Too cute! 🙂

All in all, the materials cost about $20! Not bad for a wall full of color. 🙂 I hope to show more of this space soon, so stay tuned…

And the Winner Is…

July 17, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: Uncategorized

Thank you so much to all who entered the Novica $50 Gift Card Giveaway! Today is the day the winner is announced! After selecting a winner through random.org, the lucky person is…………..

Samorjj! Congratulations! I will be in touch later today. 🙂

To Samorjj and anyone else that shops at Novica, enjoy the fun experience!