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

Invitation to the Makeover Party!

An inspired eye turns trash to treasure (photo: Better Homes & Gardens)

I’ve been crazy busy lately with everything BUT decorating so I have nothing interesting to share… but Jen, over at Sanctuary Arts at Home, is having a PARTY!!!

Jen, you may remember, is not only a fabulous painted furniture artist, but also one of the first In the Trenches interviews I ever conducted.  She’s truly a reuse and recycle QUEEN and the perfect role model for something all us budget decorators need to become expert at… seeing possibilities to reuse or remake items that already exist.

That’s why I was very excited to receive an invitation to the Makeover Party!  And why I’m extending that invitation to you as well!  Here’s a chance to not only see Jen in action, but to gain inspiration from bloggers all over the place who have remade and reused items they already owned to create something beautiful.

Head on over… the party is going full blast today!  And if you happen to have a little something you’ve worked on recently– be sure to submit it!  You never know if YOUR piece will be the one to inspire someone else to reuse, remake, or remodel to beautify their world a little more…

Until next time,

xoxo- Shauntelle

Giveaways, Free Classes, and Budget Inspiration!

 

Angel Wings by Barbara Carter

Hello my budget decorators!

 

Sorry that I’ve been MIA lately; I’ve actually been helping my friend Tricia Ballad work on a project that’s very dear to my heart… Tricia is launching a new website tomorrow (Monday) that is dedicated to helping us live well through economic hard times. It’s all about being creative and thoughtful while managing your spending and your life… so that even if things like layoffs happen to you, you can still have a fulfilling life that doesn’t feel like you’re steps away from the poor house.

You’ve heard me talk about Tricia before; we helped to plan her nursery, remember? She’s a freelance writer and mother of 4, so you can trust that she knows what it means to stretch a dollar.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you all to PLEASE help me support her efforts with this new website… drop by for a visit, sign up for a seminar, and enter the drawings for the giveaways! There are two different giveaway prizes each day and it’s pretty simple to enter… just leave a comment on any post. Leave two comments, get two entries for the day…

That’s my brief update! I’ll be back soon with more budget decorating ideas and inspiration. Spring is finally showing here in Atlanta and I’m feeling the need to work on the patio and brighten up the downstairs!

xoxo – Shauntelle

P.S.  Silly me, I forgot to give you the name of Tricia’s new website… It’s Budget Artists @ budgetartists.com.  Hope to see you there!

Dream big, spend little…

Haute House Purple Medallion Chair from Neiman Marcus

The morning after I made the “If I won the lottery…” post, I had a person unsubscribe from my feedburner list. Mostly I don’t pay attention to who subscribes and unsubscribes. Don’t misunderstand me; like any other writer/blogger, I WANT people to read (and hopefully enjoy) my posts. I just don’t spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing about the number of people who read them anymore because I found it sucks a little of the joy out of the whole process for me. Plus, since I’ve been a marketing professional my whole adult life, it’s nice to do something where I’m NOT tracking and analyzing the numbers.

That said, sometimes I wonder why people choose to unsubscribe. And on that particular morning, seeing the unsubscribe notice poked at a little fear I had hounding me as I fell asleep the night before. I was worried, you see, that my lottery post would somehow suggest that I was no longer concerned about creating a beautiful home on a budget.

Just to clarify things… I HAVE not won the lottery! Not by a long shot. Right now, my family of 5 is living on my single income because my husband, like so many others, is struggling to find a new job. I’m still VERY budget conscious from necessity. More importantly, I’ve discovered that I possess a sense of stewardship. Even if I won the lottery, I’d still be trolling craigslist.com for the best deals on whatever I needed. I have a strong belief that I should be mindful of whatever resources I have available and make the best of them. A little money or a lot of money, I’ll always be the one shopping for the best deal.

And no, that doesn’t imply that I’m cheap either. Value isn’t always about spending the least amount on something… it’s about really being thoughtful about how you spend. For instance, this winter, I splurged on a great pair of Tahari oxford shoes:

Tahari Leather and Patent Oxford

This one from DSW is very similar to mine, except mine has suede rather than flat leather. I bought mine on sale for a little over $50, so they were a deal compared to what they normally retail, but even $50 was pushing it for me. Regardless, I LOVED them on sight and they have been my go-to shoe all winter long. In fact, my happy little feet are wearing them right now and they totally provide the icing for what would be a very simple casual Friday outfit of trouser jeans and black square neck t-shirt.

My point is, I knew the value of the shoes, and even though it was a splurge budget wise, they were worth the splurge. And the reason I knew the value was because just like I spend time virtual window shopping about expensive furniture, I spend time virtual window shopping for clothing. Both habits allow me to understand current trends as well as pinpoint my own “ideal” style. Later, when I’m really shopping, I’m able to use that knowledge in a few ways:

• Judging the true value of an item. (Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean it’s really valuable to me for my life.)
• Choosing items that really represent ME. (On sale also doesn’t make it a good deal if I’ll spend most of my time feeling like I settled for something that I don’t REALLY like.)
• Selecting the right budget friendly items to recreate a look I admire. (By understanding the elements of design that speak to me, I can focus on finding pieces that possess those same elements.)

Dreaming big, in reality, is exactly what allows me to make the most effective use of my time and money in decorating my home. It allows me to lust after this $5700 leather sofa:

Tufted Leather sofa from Neiman Marcus

and spot the similarities in this $1200 Rooms To Go Cindy Crawford Home collection piece:

Cindy Crawford Home Chestnut Leather

and it’s exactly what lets me know that there is true value in this $2000 4 piece set for sale right now on craigslist.com:

Cindy Crawford Home on Craigslist

(A 4 piece set, by the way, that’s NEGOTIABLE!!!! Oh craigslist, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… )

So there… a little peek into my mindset, for those of you who might have thought I was straying from my budget decorating roots…

’til next time,

xoxo – Shauntelle

Oh, I almost forgot! If you want to learn some awesome but simple tricks for creating really pretty home accessories check out these posts on Joy’s Joys of Home blog:

Joy's monogrammed silver platter

• How to monogram a silver platter.

• How to create antique-style burlap wall art

Joy’s the newest addition to my RSS subscription list and I bet ya’ll will enjoy her blog just as much as I do!