Successful Chic!

If you are anything like me and your finding "shabby chic" to be a little too shabby and not so chic lately, I have a few bits of advice for you!  I think it is important to combine the soft comfort elements and the heavy items in order to make your room feel up to date! Mixing both rustic and metallic finishes, light and dark colors, new and old accessories and rough and soft fabrics. 

To me, these images are just that...TO SHABBY....

Too be sure your room doesn't end up "to shabby," follow these rules!

Bring in Texture

Think about some furniture that has a raw wood affect!

Bring in linen fabrics!

Whether it be your slipcovers, drapes or throw pillows. Linen fabrics are just a staple to shabby chic style! And they are fairly easy to find!

Mix in some fresh new patterns!

Mixing in some of the new popular patterns will keep your room up to date very easily! The rule is to find the pattern in a soft palette! An ikat or chevron pattern will work as long as they are soft in color! Tan, taupes, all shades of gray and even a very subtle blue works great!

Keep your walls light in color!!! 

Chances are the color you think is light enough, isn't, so go one shade lighter!

Get this out of your head: "These colors dont match exactly!"

Using different shades of a color is a good thing! It helps to add dimension! Embrace taupe and even subtle greens!

Mix old and new!

Somehow mixing modern and old pieces provides a balance! Maybe it is your modern appliances or your bathroom fixtures paired with rustic furniture or large baskets!

Matte Metallics!

I am a believer that every room should have something metallic and shiny in it! :)  However, with this style make sure your pieces are a matte metallic finish not a shiny polish!

Last thing I can think of: 

Keep botanical and floral pieces as simple as possible!

Try to keep them strictly green! In some cases, pinks can work! Use clear or metal vases and make them look as if you went out to your garden to get them!

Here are some of my favorite successful shabby chic rooms I can find!

Importance in Proportion!

Hey, Remember me?!  Things have gotten a little busy and Ive neglected my blog this past week!

I want to share one of my biggest pieces of advice for you! With design, one of the most important factors is PROPORTION!  It is such a common mistake for homeowners to get the proportion wrong. Making sure your furniture, lamps and accessories are proportionate to your room and wall size makes a world of difference. Here is an example!




This is a project I've been working on!  Enjoy the before and afters because I love them! :) You can see that BEFORE the furniture and lamps were to small.  The AFTER picture is a huge improvement and helps to fill up the space more successfully! 

Not your husbands nightstand!

It is so popular today to use unexpected items for day to day functions! I don't know about you but I absolutely have to have a functional nightstand! Its where I keep all of my maintenance products, my jewelry that I forget to take off before crawling into bed, a lamp and books for those nights that Garrett is at work and I play catch up! :) 

When most people are purchasing furniture for their bedroom they usually get two matching nightstands.  However if that is not your style, I wanted to share with you some other nightstand choices that will give your space a unique vibe! It can also save you on the dough! 

Drop Leaf Table!
Just because it isn't labeled "nightstand" doesnt mean it wont look great! A painted table is a great spacious nightstand option! And in this case, it brings an vintage vibe to the space! 

Vintage Suitcases!

If your lucky enough and have the time to search for them, vintage suitcases make adorable nightstands! In this case a mirror tops the stack which is a great idea because it finishes it off so nicely. Check out craigslist and eBay!

Chairs!

Chairs also work great for nightstands! Especially if you have a handy husband who can install a wall sconce for you! :)  I love that you can use your chair for the obvious reasons when your not in bed! To me, this makes the space feel so much more lived in and not forced/obvious design!

Shelf

To save on some floor space, consider a shelf to use as a nightstand! Very unique idea and very affordable! So Chic!

Chest of Drawers!

If you've got the room beside your bed, your chest of drawers works nicely also! It shaves on having to get an additional piece of furniture and gives you plenty of storage! I love how the nightstands don't match! Isnt this room so sweet with all the white bedding!? I love it!

Vintage Architectural items

Salvage yards and peddler malls have a ton of old architectural items that can give you a very unique nightstand! Try and look past its original condition and dont be afraid to take it home, paint it and rough it up! 

In our house, we use an old secretaries chair that we restained and reupholstered! 

   

Painted Stools with a glass top!

So Cheap! I think I just tossed on of these last week!

My challenge to you in to find something in your house! Chances are you've got something you can use! Take away one of your matching nightstands and change it up with something different! If you have any other ideas, I'd love to hear about them! 

Charm for your Bathroom!

If you are like me, your bathroom is usually last on the list to decorate! I'd much rather work on our family room or dining room! But for a spot so vital in our lives the bath should offer charm and delight, not just plumbing fixtures! So here are a very ways to make your bathroom an enjoyable space!


Chairs & Stools!
If you've got the room, consider a chair! Its a great spot for your hubby to sit while you soak! :) If its upholstered, make sure it is a durable, washable cotton fabric! If you don't have the room (me! me!) consider a small bench! Even if you just use it to stack up some towels or put your tea and book on it while you soak, it will make your space much more homey!


Mirrors!
Ditch that plain ole builders grade mirror and replace it up with a nice framed mirror! It'll help your bathroom to not feel as cold and sterile! Over sized mirrors can benefit by making your space feel larger. Also consider a wall of mirrors, not because we want to see ourselves at every angle :) but because it'll make your space feel twice as large!


Lighting!
Lighting is ultimately one of the most important elements in ANY space! Firm believer! So consider a pair of sconces to either side of the mirror rather than an over the mirror light... you'll like what you see much better! And we all know that an appropriate sided chandelier is great in a bath! If you have a vanity, table lamps work great in baths too! It'll help your home feel so much more lived in!


Visible Storage!
Instead of putting all your extra TP in a closet put it in a pretty basket in the corner! Also consider bowls for jewelry, tray for toiletries, glass jars for cotton balls and swabs, etc.


Keep your linens looking fresh!
When a towel is fraying and has bleach spots all over it, its time to go! Or no matter how many times you wash your bath mat, it just wont come clean...get a new one! Keep your shower curtain liner free of mold and hard water spots! Consider having a couple towels that you don't use and label as your display towels! That way they stay clean and free of stains!


Pictures/Artwork
Just like every other room, pictures are important in a bath! The key is to make your space feel just as personal as the rest of your house! Make sure you have the appropriate sizes...You'll probably think that you need too small of artwork. Always go bigger than you think!


I thought I would share with you some of my favorite bathrooms!

{I love the texture of the wallpaper! And the old world sconces!}

{Very realistic bathroom}

{Im sure this has a nice price tag on it! Love the sconces, and clean colors!}

{Not completely crazy about this color combo but I love the green piece and that they painted the ceiling!}

{Very unique!}

{I am not a fan of birds...at all...but I do like this idea!}

{I wish! :) }

Have a great weekend!

Large Rooms can be Tricky!

We all love big rooms and big spaces! but when it comes to designing large areas it can be a little tricky! When I am designing a large space, I like to split the area up and create multiple intimate spaces.  Creating smaller spaces also helps the room to be more functional! I thought I would share a few tips with you that I like to use when designing big spaces.


Space planning can be especially tricky if you are not a visual person! Having the right type, height, style, size furniture is important in big spaces.  Because this can so tricky for people I thought I would share a few easy tips on how to break up your space successfully.




Area Rugs are your best friend! Using an area rug really helps to define an area. They help to anchor the furniture and create a space within a space.

Lighting! Two lamps on sofa table that floats behind a couch also help to separate the area. Floor lamps are also great, especially to help define a reading nook area. Even small ceiling lamps that hang over a seating area help to define the space.

Room Dividers... I rarely suggest these because I think that they completely shut off areas.  HOWEVER, in some cases they can work.  Temporarily we used a cube shelf from IKEA to help define an entryway in our house! Just be careful to not over junk these pieces because they become an eye sore!

Keep your furniture away from the walls! If you indeed have the room, it is best to have your furniture float in the middle of the room!  This will open up the corners, create more intimate conversation areas and even make your space look larger.

Paint/Color! Another way to split up a room is to paint some of the walls a different color! Be sure the colors flow well together and limit your wall colors to 2! Consider stripes or your ceiling in a specific part of the room.  Also--just having furniture that is a different color helps to break up the space.

Put some furniture on an angle! Sometimes large rooms can create the feeling of tunnel vision and begin to look like a bowling alley! :) To help avoid this, arrange a few pieces on an angle. Maybe a sofa or just a side chair.

There are so many possibilities! Even curtains, artwork and shelving help to divide an area!  When in doubt, consider just getting help with a space plan! 


One more picture I have to share! Would be hard to convince a client on this but isn't this space so different and unique! I love it!