DIY Inspiration: I bet YOU could make THAT!

Happy Tuesday!

Hope you don’t mind another inspiration post.  I know in the past Tuesdays have been themed “Tackle It Tuesday” but there hasn’t been much decorating or household management tackling going on with me lately.  Instead, I’ve been working on a new super secret business project… I can’t tell you what it is YET… but I can tell you that it’s very WONDERFUL and MARVELOUS!  LOL!

Anyway, to semi-encourage YOU to keep up with Tackle It Tuesday, I thought I’d share a little DIY inspiration.  I’ve told you many times that I believe in keeping my eyes open to find inspiration EVERYWHERE.  Lately, I’ve found a slew of inspiration in viewing artist portfolios, especially the portfolios of set stylists and interior photographers.  In fact, I started keeping a bookmark folder dedicated to photos which inspired potential DIY projects and today I decided to share some of those photos with you along with my thoughts on how you’d achieve the DIY version.

Fun Floating  Shelves

Floating Shelf - from the portfolio of Scott Horne (scotthorne.com)

Isn’t this floating shelf from prop stylist Scott Horne’s portfolio so very cute?  I have a feeling it is anchored to the wall with hidden brackets, but you could get a similar look with an Ikea shelving and some chain you can purchase at Home Depot or Lowe’s (this link is just an example of what I mean, if you go in to one of the stores, they have different styles of chain on big rolls that they can cut to length for you – I used to use them to make purse handles back in my crafty sewing days!).  Add a can or two of spray paint and you could personalize this look to match any part of your home’s decor.

Thrifty Extra Storage

Drawer Table (via BHG.com)

I saw this a few months ago while flipping through a gallery on the Better Homes and Gardens website and thought it would be an easy and clever storage solution.  I’m betting you could find some old drawers to use for free, just by haunting craigslist or freecycle for a give away old chest of drawers.  You might find old furniture feet at a salvage yard or you can, once again, visit your local Lowe’s or Home Depot (or Ikea, if you want something more modern and have one nearby).  Pick up some paint and new drawer handles if you want and then it’s as simple as adding the feet to the drawer you plan on using for the base and painting to your taste.  Depending on what you pick and how thrifty you are, this could easily fall into the “$20 or less” project category!

Fill the walls with art for less

Wall of Frames from the portfolio of Jen Everett (jeneverett.com)

When I first saw this page from stylist Jen Everett’s portfolio, I immediately fell in love with the wall of frames.  A visit to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill could easily net you a variety of inexpensive frames (or framed art… just pop out the art and tuck away for future craft projects).  Spray paint the frames white to get the look in this picture or be adventurous and play with color (I’m envisioning a wall of bright turquoise frames against a silver-grey background for my home).

When I pulled this photo up to prepare for today’s post, I saw the scrabble board and was inspired with another thrifty art idea… how about collecting old scrabble boards from the thrift store and creating a 3-dimensional piece of wall art?  You could glue a funny phrase or create a poem or just make random words and hang the whole thing on the wall.  You could even hang an “in session” scrabble game by adding velcro or tacky repositionable tape to the back of the letters.   Or you could make a triptych by hanging 3 boards side by side and including a message or phrase that only makes sense if the boards are viewed as a whole. Could be a cute look for a family or play room.

Interesting Side Tables

Interesting Side Tables from Scott Horne's portfolia (scotthorne.com)

I’ll end with another two for one picture.  Originally, I saw the ottoman/coffee table made from square cushions and thought, gosh, that’s EXACTLY what I need for our house!  There’s a couple of options available for execution.  If you’re a handy seamstress (hmmm… why isn’t there a male version of that word?!?!), you can grab some fabric and foam from your local fabric store and create your own cushions.  The base would be a piece of plywood (cut to spec by Home Depot if you aren’t THAT handy– I’m not, so don’t feel bad!) with rolling feet attached (also available at Home Depot or Lowes).  If you aren’t big on sewing, you could probably score some discounted cushions at your local T.J.Maxx or Marshalls (or Ross, if you have one.  Go there first, they have a smaller selection but the best prices!).

Once again, when I pulled the photo up to edit for the post, I had a little lightbulb moment.  See that modern glass side table in the other photo?  Ah, well I’m sure it’s probably a pricey piece from a little known boutique store… but I think you could easily replicate it by getting a large, flat bottom glass vase from your local discount home accessories store.  I’ve seen them at my local Home Goods for around $30.  If you can’t find one large enough in diameter, you could purchase 2 or 3 in varying heights and then cluster them together for a modern take on nesting tables.

Hope you enjoyed my little DIY suggestions.  It’s noon our time and I’m starving, so I’m off to heat up my lunch.

’til next time!

xoxo- Shauntelle

P.S.   Oops, almost forgot that I wanted to tell you to make sure you pop over to see  Melissa @ The Inspired Room today.  She’s having giveaways all day long AND she ’s added a DIY section to her blog that’s chock full of projects to help you add a little budget beauty to your home.  Good luck and happy decorating! 

Building a room around a piece you love…

Yesterday as I was surfing the interwebs, I fell in love with this duvet cover from UrbanOutfitters, remember?  I loved it so much that I spontaneously starting designing a bedroom around it and I promised that I’d share the results:

Urban Outfitters' Wild Poppy Inspired Bedroom

Isn’t my little collage wonderful?!?!  Ok, maybe it’s not so amazing to you guys, but I was tickled pink to find out that Google’s free photo management program, Picasa, could create collages.

When I saw this duvet cover, I immediately envisioned a simple, open and airy bedroom that would be a peaceful retreat.  I know some of you are thinking… HELLO Shauntelle!… there’s all kinds of bold color in this collage of yours!  How can THAT be peaceful?  The thing is, for me, I’m looking for relaxing, but not boring.  I tend to retreat to my bedroom to daydream and a need a space that’s conducive to creating.    Plus, as we’ve seen in several “In the Trenches” interviews in the past, adding pops of color to a basically white (or neutral) background adds just enough interest to keep the room from feeling bland, but the white balances things out to keep the color from being overwhelming.

Since I knew I was starting with a mostly white base (imagine white walls, big windows with light, white linen curtains, plus the mostly white bedding), I decided that the first order of business was to find the right art work to go on the wall.  In this imaginary room of mine, this art work would go right above the bed and would be reflected back at me through the big mirror I’d have hung on the wall directly across from the bed (hey, this is my imaginary room, remember!  I can make sure the walls and windows are in the PERFECT locations to fit my design, unlike real life where you have to work with what ya got!).

Pier 1's Kaleidoscope Wall Art

I was lucky that I found this piece right away on the Pier 1 website.  It was another one of those things I just fell in love with immediately!  I loved that it pulled out the faint red from the duvet and brought in a whole range of other, complementary colors that could then be pulled into the room.

The next thing I looked for was lighting.  I read and write in bed all the time, so I needed to have a lamp right next to the bed.  I actually found a few lamps that I really liked, so I saved them all until I could decide which one would work best with the remainder of the furniture.

I felt really sure that I didn’t want a matchy-matchy kind of room… I’m artsy, ya know, so a room with a matched set of dresser and nightstands wouldn’t have the organic feel that I wanted for this room.  I looked at a variety of night stands before deciding that what I really wanted was a simple, interesting kind of side table.  When I saw this grouping of these tables on the Pottery Barn website, I KNEW they were perfect.  Even though it would be pricey to do this, I would buy all three and group them next to the bed just like they are in the picture.

Pottery Barn ceramic garden stools

 

I like the way they add a sculptural element to the room and the colors are a perfect complement to the art that would be above the bed.  (Ok, I know this isn’t very useful for holding the typical night stand stuff, but my solution is to keep a nice little wicker basket under the bed, perfect for storing whatever books I’m reading, my journal, some pens, and miscellany…)

With the bedside table(s) decided upon, it made it easy for me to decide on a bedside lamp… after all, can’t mar the sculptural effect of the tables by adding a table lamp, can I?

West Elm Adjustable Metal Floor Lamp (westelm.com)

 

The next thing I went looking for was the perfect mirror and dresser to situate across from the bed.  Once again, I knew that I didn’t want anything too matchy, but at the same time, the pieces needed to be complimentary.  Because of that, I looked for the dresser first.   I already had a small idea of the look I wanted… inspired  by a piece I’d seen at Pottery Barn:

Pottery Barn Andover Cabinet

I didn’t necessarily want something red, but I definitely wanted a storage piec that looked like I picked it up in a little antique shop or had it shipped home from my exotic travels (hey, this is MY daydream room, right?  Of course I have exotic travels in my daydream life!  )

This was certainly the hardest part of my search.  I looked high and low but most of the pieces I saw were just too modern for what I had in mind.  I was determined to find simple, modern lines with an aged look…

As you can see from the collage, I never did find what I wanted.  I could have settled (and almost DID) but I figure if I’m designing my dream room, I can hold out for the “just right” piece.  That’s a key part to designing a room (or home) that you truly love– being willing to wait to get that right piece at the right price.

Without the dresser, I couldn’t really decide on a mirror, so I went rug shopping instead and immediately KNEW that this soft sheepskin rug would be the perfect thing to add some additional texture and warmth to the room:

West Elm sheep skin rug

 

And there you have it, my vision of a personal bedroom inspired by Urban Outfitter’s Wild Poppy Duvet Cover!  Feel free to let me know what you think… what would you add?  Do you think the three ceramic stools are too outrageous?  You know I love to hear your feedback!

One last note before I go… I am furiously working to find new people to interview for the “In the Trenches” series.  If you have any suggestions, please drop me a line at snhamlett at gmail dot com!

’til next time,

xoxo- Shauntelle

Eye catching: the random bits that have inspired me lately

It’s a grey rainy day here in Atlanta and I’ve been wishing I could take a mini vacation somewhere warm and sunny.  The next best thing to that is escaping virtually via the interwebs,  so I thought I would share with you the things that have been catching my eye lately.

My husband recently introduced me to the work of photographer James Howe and I currently have this photo of his on my desktop:

Photo by James Howe; all rights reserved @ James Howe (http://www.jameshowephotography.com)

I could totally envision a large framed poster of this image over my faux fireplace!  You can see more of his images by visiting his blog where he shares not only images in progress, but details of how he created the image.

While browsing the apartment section of the Urban Outfitters website, I ran across a couple of items that just tickled my fancy.

The first is this cute little jewelry stand made of dollhouse chairs:

Urban Outfitters Dollhouse Chairs Jewelry Stand

At $68.00, it’s a little more than I could justify paying for cuteness, but I think it could potentially make an interesting DIY project.

I also was utterly charmed by this nostalgic little retro clock:

Urban Outfitters Bonox Clock

At $18.00, it’s quite budget friendly and just very adorable!

I also love this Poppy Duvet Cover and would happily buy it if I didn’t think my husband would find it too overwhelmingly girly:

Urban Outfitters Wild Poppy Duvet Cover

 

Shall I tell you how much I really loved this duvet?  I saw it and spontaneously started planning a whole bedroom around it!  (And since I know you’re so VERY curious to know what that bedroom would look like, I promise to share it with you in another post later this week!)

An inspiration post wouldn’t be complete, of course, without a visit to Etsy!  The first thing that caught my eye was this awesome bonsai tree sculpture by S. Maxwell Designs:

Carnelian Copper Wire Bonsai Tree on Stone

I was also smitten with the artist’s handpainted pendants:

Handpainted Bird and Forsythia Blossom

I might have to hint to Santa about this one!

My last bit of inspiration actually comes from the Anthropologie and it doesn’t cost a thing!  I received a note in my email inviting me to preview their new website theanthropologist.net which is, in their words, “a virtual storybook where inspiring content is exposed, emotional connections are made, and the creative process is illuminated.“   It debuts with the work of director Jane Campion, filmmaker Andrew Zuckerman, and Photographer David Eustace.   As someone who is fascinated by the process of creativity, I found the site very inspiring and I think you will as well!

That’s all the inspiration for today!

‘Til next time,

xoxo – Shauntelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craigslist Friday: Awesome with a little elbow grease

Surprise!  It’s a craigslist FRIDAY post!

I was visiting Design*Sponge on my lunch break and there’s this whole section of Before and Afters that truly always inspire me.  The last few have been creatively reupholstered chairs that started off looking like something you’d find on the side of the street.  With some elbow grease and gorgeous fabric, the “after” looked like high end boutique!

As usual, it left me promising myself that somehow, some way, I AM GOING TO LEARN REUPHOLSTERING.  It also inspired me to head over to craigslist to hunt for pieces that would be awesome with just a little elbow grease.   My goal was to find items that cost $50 or less simply because if I pay over $50 for something, probably I want it to be as close to usable condition as possible!

The first piece I found was FREE!

Free metal storage cabinet (http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/zip/1434450417.html)

According to the ad, this is something the homeowners found in their garage when they bought their home.  They don’t know what to do with it, so they’re giving it away FREE (my favorite word)!  In the picture, it’s laying on its side, and it’s hard to tell exactly how deep it might be… But I see all kinds of potential for it anyway.  I mean, if you like the shabby chic look, you could probably use it as is for some type of interesting display.  In fact, it just occurred to me that it could be a charming change of pace for a foyer piece or a mudroom piece.  If you take out that wood in the center and add coat hooks, it would be a one of a kind coat hanger; the extra drawers could store keys and mail and all the little random things that you come inside carrying.

Another thought I had was that you could take the existing paint off, prime it with a glossy bright color like apple green and then use it as an attractive TV stand.  I bet you guys could think of a bunch of other uses for it too… and the price is definitely right!  http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/zip/1434450417.html

$50 Wingback Loveseat (http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/fuo/1434317811.html)

Ok, I can just hear some of you wondering if I’ve lost my mind with this one!  I know it’s really frumpy looking… but I’m asking you to use your imagination, ok?  First I want you to look at the shape.  Wingback style, but on a loveseat, not a chair.  This is awesome!  No, REALLY, this is awesome.  You could completely rock this loveseat in a retro modern environment.  Get rid of the slipcovers and reupholster it in a great fabric, maybe something like this Amy Butler Modern Martini:

Amy Butler's Modern Martini

or maybe this Tunisia Chartreuse print:

Premier Prints Tunisia Chartruese

And you end up with a funky little piece that you might find in Anthropologie or Urban Outfitters, like this Cleo Chair (but without the $1000 price tag):

Anthropologie's Cleo Chair, Polly

The last thing I have to share is this set of 4 “modern” chairs for $35 (http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/fuo/1434278609.html):

Set of 4 "modern" chairs - $35 (http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/fuo/1434278609.html)

Again, I can feel some of you shaking your head, thinking “what happened to her, she used to have such good taste!”  Once again, I’m asking you to trust me and use your imagination.  A coat of paint for the frames and recovering those grubby cushions with a great fabric and I can see you ending up with chairs that rival these $400 a piece Aldo chairs from Room and Board:

Room & Board's Aldo Chair

Inspiration, creativity, and elbow grease… these are the tools that budget decorators employ to their homes from blah to beautiful.  Hope this gives you a little more incentive to keep your eyes open to the possibilities that exist every where around you!

‘Til next time,

xoxo – Shauntelle

What I’m loving now…

Hello my budget decorating lovelies!

It’s starting to feel more like Fall here in Atlanta and thinking of Fall makes me long for cozy blankets and cuddling in front of a fireplace.

Luckily, our new condo rental has a fireplace.  It was one of the things that really drew us to the space.  Unfortunately, we just discovered that it’s not a REAL working fireplace!!!   Looks like someone had plans to make it an electric fireplace, but then they abandoned that concept after installing the mantel and box.  So the only fires we’ll have in there (unless you guys have some clever, inexpensive suggestion) will come from the gentle flicker of a very limited number of tea light candles!

Fairly Empty Living Room (photo by Kenneth Hamlett)

Anyway, thinking about Fall cuddling put me in the mood to start shopping for new living room furniture… as you can see, there’s currently NOTHING there to sit on!  Starting from scratch, so to speak, has given me the opportunity to review my style.  In the old townhouse, I was so focused on getting furniture within my price range, I was willing to pretty much make due with almost anything.  Ok, not COMPLETELY.  I mean, y’all saw my old place, it’s not like I was living with basement cast-offs from some old relative!  But still, I had a “make due” mentality.

With this place, I want to furnish it with pieces that hubby and I love.  Sure, I’ll still be shopping on a tight budget, so I’ll have to find the best deals… but I want the major pieces we purchase from here on out to be things we can (I can) feel happy living with for the next five or six years at least.  (I know, this isn’t the longest time to live with furniture, but 5-6 years is practically a life time for someone like me, who needs regular change to stay happy and motivated.)

Anyway, I thought a good way to get back into the swing of blogging again would be to share some of the things I’m loving right now…

As I wandered through my favorite haunts, I completely fell in love with this family room from Pottery Barn:

Pottery Barn Family Room featuring Seabury Sofa

The fireplace and the room shape immediately made me think of our condo and I really, really, really love how the warm colors in the accessories transform a fairly plain white room into something cozy and perfect for relaxing.

I’ve also fallen deep in like with these chairs from West Elm:

Curved West Elm Side Chairs

I would pair them with a big, dark wood, almost rustic table in the dining room.  Maybe something similar to this one from Pier One Imports:

Torrance Dining Table from Pier One Imports

Not the best picture, but you get the idea… modern rustic, not turn of the century farmhouse rustic.

As usual, I find myself constantly torn between a contemporary/modern aesthetic and a more girly/romantic look.  Given that I’m decorating with my husband’s taste in mind as well, our home will probably lean more toward the contemporary/modern look.  But if I can find a way, I’ll slip in some girly bits like these great accessories from Anthropologie:

Anthropologie's Cooled Globes Lamp

Anthropologie's Flamenco Shower Curtain

Honestly, can’t imagine where that would fit in our home, but the girly part of me just SQUEALS with delight over them!!! 

That’s it for now my dears!  Before I go, I do want to leave you with one more picture, also from our new home:

Inviting Kitchen (photo by Kenneth Hamlett via kennethhamlett.com)

I’m proud to say this comes from my hubby’s portfolio and it’s our kitchen.  Trust me, the beauty is a testament to his skills as an interior/architectural photographer because I see this place in person every day and it doesn’t look this beautiful!  If you get a chance, please go by and visit his website at KennethHamlett.com.   He has an amazing eye (I say this with only a slight bias!) and I think you will find his urban and city landscapes well worth the visit!

Until next time!

xoxo- Shauntelle

Selling stuff, moving out, and finding a place called “Home”

Home by Kenneth Hamlett (http://www.kennethhamlett.com)

Everyone keeps asking me what’s happening with A Beautiful Abode.  Have I given up on blogging?  When am I going to make my next update?

It’s gratifying and depressing at the same time.

The short answer to these questions, is “No, I haven’t given up on blogging.”  The truth is, I just don’t feel inspired to write anything right now.  When I started Beautiful, my goal was to motivate myself to create a beautiful home for my family.  I was a stay at home mom with very little extra cash and an even smaller understanding of how I wanted our home to look.  I just knew that I wanted it to be a place my husband could be proud of when inviting his friends and co-workers over.

Then life happened.  You know how it is.  You think you have things planned to go one way and they end up going a completely different way.  Suddenly my concept of home was shaken… so I started selling and rearranging things.  Looking for a way to recreate that safe feeling of home that was missing.  And it worked for a little while.  Y’all saw my infrequent updates as I relearned the art of managing career, kids, and home as a single parent.

Of course, the only constant in life is change though, right?  I’m happy to be reunited with my hubby, but once again, the concept of home has changed.  End of last month, we left our old rental, a 30 year old townhome that we’d called home for over 5 years.  It was a mix of economics and just the desire to start fresh that fueled our move… only six miles north of where we were… but a new adventure for all of us, nonetheless.  The kids started new schools.  And we, well, we sold most of the furniture from the townhouse and have decided to start fresh.

So… in terms of decorating, I’m sorta looking for EVERYTHING.  Except, that I’m not.

Cause in the up and down of the last year and a half, I’ve discovered something new about the meaning of home.

Home, I discovered, is wherever love is.  Love that you feel for yourself and love that you share with others.

Feeling at home isn’t dependent on the prettiest furnishing, the most pulled together rooms, the charming knickknacks, or even the family photos on the wall.  Home and the sense of feeling at home, starts within YOU and radiates out.

Right now, even though there’s more floor than furniture, our empty-ish new space feels more like home than anywhere I’ve lived in many, many years.  Cause now, I feel at home in myself.

Touchy-feely message aside, don’t worry, I’m not abandoning A Beautiful Abode.  I have just as much reason to be interested in budget decorating as always… we’re still living on one steady income while hubby builds his photography business and, even if we weren’t, with the way the economy has been, it would be insane to spend any more than necessary on furniture and home accessories.

I guess I’m just letting you know that things may continue to be a little erratic as I find new bearings.  And you might see a little more “philosophy” finding it’s way into my posts as I start to explore my new understanding of “home.”

As always, it’s an interesting journey.  Thanks for continuing to share it with me!

xoxo – Shauntelle

Spring Fever: A Patio Revamp

Hola my lovelies!

How has the weather been in your neck of the woods?  Here in Atlanta, we have had the most BEAUTIFUL weather!  Gorgeous blue skies, cool breezes, and 85.   Over the weekend, the beautiful weather really inspired me.  My patio was in sad, sad shape.  So sad, I was too embarrassed to take a full “before” shot!   Imagine a little concrete block with a couple of pots spouting foot tall clover, a sad little rosebush that was on its last leg, old plastic bowling pins laying around where ever the kids last dropped them, and a few miscellaneous balls of various sporting types hiding in corners.

The piece de resistance was my 3 piece retro aluminum seating set, pathetically lined in a row, waiting to receive the TLC I promised it late last summer when I picked it up for a steal @ craigslist for $50.

50s aluminum loveseat

The full aluminum porch set - a craigslist steal from last summer @ $50

It was a sad, pitiful sight.  The kind you avert your eyes as you pass through to enter the townhouse.  The kind you sorta don’t notice when you leave home at 7:30am and get home as the dusk begins around 6:oopm.

The kind that becomes a GLARINGLY obvious eyesore when the weather’s gorgeous and you realize that you’re wasting perfectly liveable outdoor space that you REALLY want to use to soak up the previously mentioned gorgeous sunny day.

Yup.  It was that kind of pitiful.  And, truth be told, I might have been able to ignore it one more weekend if I hadn’t been doing a little blog maintenance on Saturday.  I was clearing up my blog roll when I ran across this great post from Nicole over at Making It Lovely.

Nicole and 4 other bloggers had been invited by BHG.com to participate in the 48 hour challenge.  As I understand it, they were given $500 to use materials from Home Depot to revamp their outdoor spaces in 48 hours.   Nicole and her husband created this amazing space:

MakingItLovely.com 48 Hour Challenge Project

Beautiful, right?  Every part of it… right down to the handpainted faux rug that Nicole did FREEHAND!  And the most important part of this (at least to my slacker self) is that Nicole is currently a week overdue with their first baby!  Yes, you read that correctly… she did this while ready to burst any minute with newborn baby girl goodness…

So I’m reading all about it (and you should go here and do that too) and I’m glancing out my back window at the pitiful view to my little patio.  And I thought… really Shauntelle, there is NO excuse.   After all, I’m not even close to bursting out any newborn baby goodness.  I couldn’t even complain that the weather was bad.

Of course, I didn’t have anyone offering me $500 for a redo, but heck, the whole reason I started this blog was to encourage people to beautify within whatever budget they have.  What I had was $25.  So I made myself a little challenge… I’d reuse, recycle, and use whatever ingenuity I could come up with to revamp my little patio with just $25.

I have to say, I’m pretty proud of my results.  The project is still in progress with $13 spent so far, but by Sunday evening this is what I’d accomplished (with the help of my youngest son and partner-in-crime):

Painted furniture and new layout

It felt so nice to sit on the patio and see the progress.  In fact, everyone in the family enjoyed it so much, we spontaneously ended up having Sunday dinner out on the patio.

Working on this reminded me why design is so important.  I can’t tell you how much happier I felt sitting on my attractive patio, and it was obvious to me, as I sat out there enjoying dinner with my family that evening, that my family felt better too.  That’s what good design does; provides an environment that encourages you to enjoy your life and the ones you love a little bit more.

My hope is to finish up a few more projects for the patio over the week.  I’ll definitely take more (and better) photos and keep you updated as I go.

’til next time!

xoxo – Shauntelle

P.S.  I almost FORGOT!  Please be sure to go over and vote for Nicole’s space on bhg.com!  You can check out the other 4 finished spaces as well, but her’s is by far the MOST gorgeous!    Plus really, who can beat saying they handpainted a faux rug while a week overdue… you gotta win extra points for that!

Inspiration Friday: Sneak peak of Nate Berkus’ new HSN line!

Nate Berkus (photo courtesy NateBerkus.com)

One of the reasons I LOVE blogging is the interesting emails I receive.  A lot of times people email me with stuff I would NEVER mention to ya’ll… but ever so often, I receive an email that makes me bounce in my chair or get up and dance across the room.

This was one of those weeks.  On hump day (Wednesday), I got to work in a mood… rainy day and lack of sleep combined to put me in one of THOSE moods, ya know?  And then… it was like the clouds parted!  I opened my email to find a note from the publicist for Nate Berkus announcing his new HSN line!!!!

If, somehow, you’ve managed to avoid Oprah fever, you might not be familiar with Nate Berkus.  (If not, go visit his website RIGHT NOW, and come back here afterwards!)  Nate is an amazingly talented (and really good looking!) interior designer who is regularly featured as the design expert on Oprah.

Ya’ll don’t know how much I love Nate!  I will save all my pennies to buy an issue of O!Home anytime his work is featured just so I can drool over it.  If there was a designer that I could spring for to come redesign my home…. Nate is THE ONE!  Top on my list!

So you can imagine how OVER THE MOON I was to get a sneak peak at his new HSN line that launches on Monday, April 27th.  Picture me doing the cabbage patch in my office chair… yes, I was THAT over the moon.  Especially when I found out I get to share that sneak peak with all of you!!!

But wait… it gets better!

I GET TO INTERVIEW NATE FOR A BEAUTIFUL ABODE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, even now, just thinking about that makes me squeal with happiness!  Just think, tips from the expert himself on how to achieve that gorgeous combination of color, texture, warmth, and comfort that epitomizes his style to our homes in a way that fits our budgets.  I can’t wait!

I’m also drooling over his new collection.  Everything in the collection retails for under $500, so it’s budget friendly.  The thing I REALLY like is that you can buy accessories in sets.  You know how it can be so hard to figure out which pieces to put together to create a great tablescape to get that pulled together look?  Nate’s HSN collection makes it easy because he’s grouped certain elements together for us.  And not in that matchy-matchy Rooms to Go way.  Nope.  These groupings look like items you would have naturally collected and arranged together over time (well, if you had Nate’s great sense of style and design eye! I do not have that and that’s why my coffee table is bare right now!).

Alright, I know… you’re thinking that’s MORE than enough chatter Shauntelle… bring on the sneak peak pictures!

Nate Berkus for HSN Astor Tablescape

Nate Berkus for HSN Studio Sofa in Driftwood ($499.90)

Nate Berkus for HSN Ahmad Tablescape

Nate Berkus for HSN Wrap Bed and Prince Street Bed Set

Isn’t it all beautiful? And there’s more;  I had to work hard to pick just a sample to show here.  Be sure to watch the big HSN design event presented by Elle Decor on Monday at Midnight, 1 am, 8 am, noon, 4 pm, 7 pm and 10 pm eastern to see the rest of Nate’s collection.

And please feel free to send me any questions you’d like me to ask him during the interview.  You can email them to me at snhamlett at gmail dot com or leave a comment.

’til next time!

xoxo – Shauntelle

SO excited!!! An “In the trenches” update…

Tree of Love by Nina in Vorm

So do any of you happen to remember the wonderfully talented Nina in Vorm? She was our In the Trenches feature just about a year ago now.  At the time of the interview, she had all these great art pieces on show in her home that no one could buy and I thought it was such a shame!  I am SOOOOO excited to tell you that I just found that she now has an etsy shop!!!

Take a look at what precious lovelies could be yours:

Nina's drop shaped bowls

Nina's Branches Bowl 6

Nina only releases a few original pieces at a time, so you want to be sure to visit her shop often!  NinainVorm

’til next time!

xoxo – Shauntelle

Goodbye to Domino Magazine…

March 2009, the final issue of Domino Magazine

I just found out the saddest news…. this month’s issue of Domino magazine is the last one they’ll publish. 

I’ve always loved Domino magazine.  To me they held a unique position in the design magazine category.  They have always catered to what I’ve come to think of as Gen X’ers style… that mix-mosh of modern, traditional, retro, and contemporary with a little “where the heck did that come from?” whimsy thrown in.  You know, the kinds of things you’d find if you shopped for furniture and accessories at Urban Outfitters.

They weren’t always the most budget friendly (not for lack of trying, of course!  I mean really, they did have to sell ad space after all and people who sell on craigslist aren’t generally inclined to purchase big spreads in glossy magazines!), but everything they featured was normally so lovely and often so inspirational, that it didn’t matter that it wasn’t within my price range.

And they’ve often managed to feature some of my favorite bloggers, like Grace over at Design*Sponge, as well as interesting new artists and designers that I would never have found otherwise.

Sigh.

Goodbye Domino magazine!  You will definitely be missed…

xoxo - Shauntelle