Urban Outfitters "In The Bag" Sale

Hi! I know I was supposed to share Emma's 12 month update, and I am still within her birth month so I have time! Not much time, but I do! It's been a crazy month and I will update you all when I can with all the craziness!

So I am always on the lookout for a great sale. I love shopping and perusing home good items #interiordesignproblems but I never pull the trigger and order things. I was alerted to the Urban Outfitters "In the bag" sale and I had to peruse, because up to 70% off is always intriguing. Of course some of the items I loved were already sold out! Check out the sale and here are some of my favs!

Ladder Storage Basket $69 now $49

Magical Thinking Geo Medallion Pillow $34 now $29

 Three Potato Four Wooden Wall Art $34 now $9.99!!!!! (Thinking I need this!)

Home Modern Media Center $629 now $299.99
For the love of all mid century modern! I wish I had a place to put this! LOVE IT!

Industrial Caged Organizer $79 now $59

Locust Copper Pendant $98 now $59.99 (wheels are spinning)

Plum and Bow Curved Lines Table Lamp $129 now $74.99

Still loving my teal!

Mid Century Vanity $349 now $159.99 (!!!!!!!)

Locus Monogram Hook $10ea now 2 for $15

Can I redesign my entire apartment now? This post isn't sponsored. I just wanted to share some awesome finds that are on SALE!

Apartment Design - Tina and Bree

I often get approached by family and friends with design questions. Needing an eye for an entryway, a new furniture layout or sometimes just an addition of some accessories to their existing furniture. Sometimes I can be of assistance and when I can pull something together and they love it, I feel really good. In my professional life I mainly work in commercial and medical spaces so its a nice change of pace to be able to select the squishy stuff!

We all know that when you live in temporary spaces; I.E. renting, that it can be daunting to decorate. You can't paint (unless you want to un-paint) you can't change architecture, you basically can only accessorize. My aunt and cousin are renting an apartment and wanted to do something fun and girly with their living space as they have dubbed it "The Maxi Pad." In a recent trip to everyone's favorite Swedish home store Ikea, they picked up this whimsical art piece. It was that, and this living room post by Amber Interiors that I had to work with. Enter their living room:

A little bit on the plain side because they haven't picked anything yet. An ottoman, a side table and three navy throws that came with the white chenille sofa. Not exactly the look they wanted. I was tasked with coming up with accessories to go with the artwork, a rug, draperies and maybe a gallery wall. Here's what I came up with:

They both like an older feel, my cousin likes Mid-Century Modern (duh we are related) and my aunt likes an old world feel, so trying to marry those two concepts together, while keeping it feminine wasn't too much of a challenge. I brought in light colored drapes to open up the room, texture in the pillows and some fun artwork for a gallery wall. Maybe adding in a tray with some flowers to their coffee table and some other tabletop items and it should be complete! Hopefully we can pull it together and get a photo of it assembled. Just thought I would share! Links to selections are below!

Magical Thinking Rug: Urban Outfitters

Amelia Drapery: Pier One

Multicolor Patchwork Lumbar Pillow: World Market
Plum & Bow Andanda Kilim Pillow: Urban Outfitters
Blue & Brown Embroidered Medallion Pillow: Pier One
Metallic Beaded Pillow: Pier One
Yellow Chenille Pillow: Ikea
White Sweater Pillow: Ikea
Bright Side of Life Hanging: Pier One
Natural Vine Heart Wall Decor: Pier One
Champagne Burst Mirror: Pier One
Water Snake Lady: Ikea

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! :-)

Mid Century Mod - Inspired Furniture

I love Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern furniture. Just something about the simplicity of the lines that are created makes me swoon. We get so many catalogs at our office that I cannot possibly look through all of them. Usually they just go into the round file because I am just too busy to thumb through them. Last week I was waiting to meet with my boss and I glanced down at "The Pile" and saw the autumn West Elm catalog and immediately fell in love with the piece on the cover.

In thumbing through each page I discovered that they are in a Mid-Century modern inspired trend and I WANT EVERYTHING! Where's my house and the money? I complied a list of things that I would totally die to have! Lets first off talk about the piece that caught my eye.....the Lubna Chowdhary Tiled Dining Storage. Seriously could this piece be any cooler? It comes several different ways too!!! I am loving the entry table also!

Below is a glimpse of some of the things I wouldn't mind one bit if they magically made their way into my home!

// 1. Mid Century Desk Seriously. I love the entire look of this desk. // 2. Slope Leather Arm Chair // 3. Adjustable Metal Floor Lamp // 4. Glass Jug Table Lamp // 5. Isla Wall Print // 6. Rochester Sofa Just looks super comfy to me. // 7. Spoke Dining Chair Reminds me of a Macintosh chair // 8. Bentwood Pendands Something about these are just cool! // 9. Emerson Buffet //

One other thing that I totally love and want to try and convince the hubby that we should get are these Mid Century Nightstands....they would go PERFECTLY with our headboard in our master! Please Please PLEASE!

What's you favorite design style?

Rainbow of Design - Tuesday Topics

I thought that I would do something more geared towards my field of expertise for this weeks Tueday Topics and do more of a rainbow colored mood board. I thought it would challenge me to find some fun colored design/furniture elements.

Red: Strandmon Wing Chair I love the shape of this wing chair from Ikea. I haven't been an Ikea fan in the past, but they have really kicked up their game over the last couple of years. Orange: Jaipur Rug I am really in love with the graphic pattern in a bold  pattern, but I love that it has a neutral background even more because it can be paired with so much more! Yellow: Barn Door's are all the rage lately. I am loving the fact that these people took it to the modern level by painting it a bold color! Green: Pendant Lights always add a little extra touch to a room. I like the fact that this has an interior tube to help get pure light, it also gives it a little extra design element. Blue: Chevron Stripes are also all the rage right now, not just in fashion but in interiors as well. We all know that I have a mild obsession with teal in my home (as seen here, here and here) so this pillow would just look priceless in my house! Violet: Bold Accent Walls always give some interest in a space. I love that even though this is a violet color, it's still reading as a neutral on the wall with the help of the calm architectural elements and adding in the violet in the accessories.

I hope you enjoyed this post and if you would like more design posts just let me know!

A Little Facelift

Or not so little. I just thought I'd let you all know that things look a little a lot different around here. I did an almost complete blog makeover. It took me about two weeks to figure out what I wanted to do, and I posted things to my personal Facebook and Instagram for opinions from all my friends and family, who love it too! I still need to revamp my Photography tab and I have some other plans in store up at the top, but I thought you would all like to peek around and get to know my new layout! I had great fun creating the header and all the matching photos and sub-headers! I hope you all like it! Thanks for reading and I love each of you for doing so!!

Diane

7 Things You Should Know About Designers - Tuesday Topics

This weeks Tuesday Topics revolves around the place that we as adults spend most of our time. Our job. I am an Interior Designer.....not to be confused with a decorator. I went to school and got a degree in my field of study. You do not have to have a degree to be a decorator. There are many miscommunications about what an Interior Designer actually does and what I actually do at my company.

1. Interior Design involves more paperwork than you would initially think. I tend to do a lot of the filing in our office so I see the amount of paper that it generates; from printing plans, to applications at city building departments, emails interfacing with clients, property managers and contractors. There is so much to keep track of.

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2. We have a lot more knowledge of building construction than just your basic selecting the pillows or hanging the draperies. We look into all aspects of a building and make sure that it is aesthetically pleasing yet still functional and of course structurally sound. We interface with many consultants i.e. structural, mechanical, plumbing to make sure that our build outs pass all the proper city codes as well as have knowledge of the laws in California such as Title 24 (dealing with proper use of energy consumption) and Americans with Disabilities Act to make sure all public and now most residential spaces are adequately built to accommodate people with disabilities.

3. I use the computer A LOT. With technology what it is and with the internet, we have every resource at our fingertips. We are constantly doing research for our clients to make sure that we are providing them with the most up to date and functional products. We also use AutoCAD in our office to create construction documents and space plans to make sure that our designs not only layout appropriately but at the most accurate of scale.  

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4. Not every design we present is accepted as is. We work with our clients to make sure we understand the vision that they have for their space a to make sure the design is timeless enough to last many years. Building spaces are leased for 10+ years and we hope when we are finished and we go back in ten years to re-visit the space, it doesn't look dated.....I'm talking to you avocado kitchen's of the 70s. Design is always evolving and we can go from one end of the spectrum to another within the course of one project. Our ultimate goal is to provide beautiful work that our clients will love for years to come.

5. We do site verification also. We go out to buildings and measure each space using laser measuring devices to get the most accurate as-builts of our spaces. We then utilize these drawings to create our plans off of. Sometimes we have some surprises during construction....a random column hidden in a wall, or plumbing lines that cannot be moved. However for the most part we are pretty knowledgeable about the space and these surprises are few and far between.

6. I love to pick finishes. It's really fun to start from a blank slate and be able to pull an entire space together with my fingertips. From floor to ceiling we like to make sure every aspect of our spaces are thought through and work together as a whole. No elephants in the room here.

7. Sometimes we can go months before we see the finished product ourselves. Going back and documenting our projects is something that I love to do because photography is a hobby of mine. Seeing the before and afters of any space always makes us smile.....even if if has been a year since it's been installed.

There you go! 7 things about my job! I truly enjoy what I do and always love to see a completed project!

 

Blog Button Design Battle!!!!

Hey to all my lovelies out there in blogland! BreAnna over at Peacoat & Plaid has selected my blog button for her 3rd round of battle of the buttons! I would be oh so grateful if you would all head over and cast your vote for me and my button! Also click on all the linkies below and visit some of the other lovely ladies!

Awe I love this photo!

Welcome to Round 3 of the Blog Button Design Battle with Peacoats & Plaid. Want to know who won Round 2? Drum roll please...

Congrats to Kalyn from Love, Laughter, Happily Ever After! Kalyn's winning button design:

The runner-up spot goes to Amberly from Life with Amberly & Joe.

This week's participants include:

Samantha from Designer in Teal
Jess from Plucky's Second Thought
Petro from The Seaman Mom
Diane from DD Kimball Road
Danysia from That L.A. it Girl
Bethany from Before, During, and After
JMc from Running on Empty
Ashley from Him & Her
Danavee from This Vintage Grove
Kristin from Hopelessly Ever After

Vote for your favorite and most eye-catching button by clicking on the thumbnail below. Make sure you're voting solely on eye appeal. You can only vote once, so make it count.


Check back next week for Round 4. If you're interested in participating in Season 2 of the Blog Button Design Battle, make sure you subscribe to Peacoats & Plaid for updates.

"From mom's to mine" - Entryway Re-style

Being that my profession is an Interior Designer, I often get asked for tips or advice on color selections, fabrics, or even furniture. Sometimes I am asked to go shopping with various friends or just to help them re-examine their spaces to make them more functional. Last year I helped a dear friend repaint the exterior of his house, from a salmon pink to a nice blend of greens and tans. (Although he has yet to replace the salmon pink garage door! Get on that!) Sometimes its help hanging art, or putting together a piece of furniture. I am always around to give tips and tricks to help make a your space the way you want it to look.

Case in point; last weekend. I have a dear friend who needed help with their entryway. Her and her husband bought her childhood home from her parents and her brain was stuck with what to do with her entryway. Her mom had it one way, and she couldn't get around the way it always was. They went and bought some really lovely pieces to go along with functional storage to try and make it an easy place to put mail, coats, shoes, etc. without looking dumped and disheveled. She kept throwing me ideas and we just stared at the wall for about 20 minutes. My brain trying to figure out the best way to incorporate all her needs in one little space and still have it be inviting.

We had discussions of old items, and some plants. Whether to use them or not. Her husband did not want to use them and in fact they no longer went with the style they were looking to create. A modern-traditional blend. Blended styles are very common because it gives a homey lived in look, but can still be dressed up to look formal. So here are some tips that I gave her while we plowed through her stuff to figure out how to create her perfect space.

1. If you don't love it, don't keep it. If you as a couple aren't in love with a particular piece, send it away to somebody that will love it. Keeping things because you feel like you should creates clutter, and clutter always turns into chaos. You want your home to be in order and a place of solace and relaxation....not chaos.

2. When choosing items, everything doesn't have to "match" or be completely symmetrical. To create the blended look you need a mix of contemporary/modern items mixed in with your traditional look. Wood colors need to blend, but don't necessarily need to match.

3. When hanging items on the wall sometimes its easier to figure out the look by laying your arrangement out on the floor to get an idea of what it will look like finished. It might not exactly go up on the wall the way you lie it out, but at least you'll have somewhat of a plan, which leads to less work for the husband putting the holes in the wall, and less holes in the wall.

4. Play with scale and arrangements. you don't always have to have the same piece in a line. look for other patterns that create interest. Lean artwork on shelves and play with heights and textures.

5. If you have empty frames, hang them anyways. That way you'll have the complete look done and a gentle reminder to print photos for the frame!

6. Have fun! Choose things that you love and if you mess up it's ok. Design and art is always about taking chances and doing things a little different! If you get stuck, start with a clean slate. Pull everything off the walls and just start again. You can always put it back!

Without further ado.....the finished look:

Not completely finished, but she was very happy with the results. She has a functional and nice looking entryway. Sometimes all you need is another set of eyes. Great style lady!