Craigslist Monday: A feminine sitting room for under $350

Happy Monday, Budget Decorators!

I’m running a little late with today’s Craigslist Monday because I just finished up the interview questions for Carrie and Danielle. If all goes according to plans, their interview will be up a week from Friday (on April 11th). You can’t understand how hard it was to decide on the questions to ask them… they’re the kind of women who inspire me so much, I could have picked their brains for ages and ages. Hopefully, I asked the right questions and ya’ll will enjoy the interview!

Anyway, let’s jump in with today’s finds. Starting with this great bookcase for only $20!

Can you believe this is only $20?!? (I know Jen, I can hear you asking me why I haven’t run out and bought it! I’m actually thinking it’s more Manuela’s style…) I can see it painted white or black to give it a french country style… but, you could also paint it a bright color like fire engine red or marine blue to give it an eclectic, modern POP! http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/625370043.html

And what about this lovely white wicker chair and table set for $45?

Great for a little sitting room or covered patio… and it looks like it’s in excellent condition. (Doesn’t that picture make you want to see the inside of this person’s home? I bet she/he could give us a few decorating tips! Maybe I should e-mail them…) http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/624975291.html

Hey, I just realized that this is working out to be a great little sanctuary… can’t you see that chair and table in a cozy little sitting room with that bookcase? Let’s see how we can finish it up…

How about this?

Isn’t that pretty? You can’t find 5′ x 8′ rug anywhere for $50 (although, that said, I would still ask them if they would take $40 for it… cause I’m into bargaining like that!LOL!) http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/624916696.html

Oh, isn’t this shaping up to be a lovely room?!? Let’s see if we can find a lamp to finish it off…

Oh, but wait… how about this rose covered sofa for $199?

I’m not normally the flowered sofa type girl, but wouldn’t this be perfect for the room we’re creating? A girly cottage style sitting room… and how often can you get a sofa that’s in good condition for $199. I bet there’s some bargaining leeway in that price too, because it’s being sold atA Classy Flea (a flea market/resale type shop). I’d ask them if they’d take $175 for it… http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/624868748.html

Hmm… now that we have the sofa, I suppose we have to get rid of the rug, huh? Oh well, guess it would have to go back on craigslist– but at least, if we bought it for $40 but list it for $70, we’ll make a profit on it! (On the other hand, that’s why you should always buy the bones of a room first, before you buy the accessories… saves money in the long run.)

In the meanwhile, let’s get this lamp:

They’re asking $30, but I’d offer $20… chances are, we’d meet in the middle at $25. And it’s a great fit for our little wicker table. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/623274814.html

I would REALLY like a rug to go in this room. Let’s try that one more time… Ah, here’s where I run into trouble because I rarely mix a lot of patterns… what do you think, would any of these work to finish off our room?

8′ x 10′ Cotton Persian rug for $60:

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/623274814.html

or maybe this 7.5′ x 5.5′ Persian Rug for $60?

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/618136270.html

Or maybe the answer is none of the above? Melissa, Courtney, either of you wanna weigh in with rules on mixing patterns?

I don’t know if we end up with a rug or not, but we do get very close to the bones of a pretty sitting room for less than $350. And had a little fun at the same time, flexing our design muscles! : )

Tomorrow, I’m really, truly, honestly, going to reveal pictures of Ian and Catie’s redecorated bedroom. Really. I promise! See ya then.

xoxo,

Shauntelle

Inspiration Friday: Yellow, yellow, yellow…

I don’t know why, but lately I’m just fascinated by the color yellow. According to definitions that are here, the color yellow is associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy and should be used to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings. All I know is that just seeing a pop of yellow in a room makes me happy… so I’m sharing a little bit of yellow inspiration with ya’ll today!

My favorite harbinger of Spring:

Daffodil photo from the New York Botanical Gardens website.

Elegant yellow pillows from Z Gallerie.

Photos courtesy Coastal Living Online

Have a great weekend
xoxo,

Shauntelle

DIY Thursday: A pretty braided rag rug for the nursery

I promised to share details of a DIY project for the nursery with you last week. And then life fell apart a little bit and I never did. Sorry! Please forgive me. I’ll make up for it this week by giving you a little tutorial with photos on it today.

If you remember, one of the items on the floor plan for the nursery is a big round rug. Technically, a 4 feet in diameter round rug.

Rugs, especially larger round ones, can be very expensive so I knew off the bat I would need to do some brainstorming for a creative way to meet that need without the large expense. I considered a few options, including knitting a rug, quilting a rug, or even using a large blanket. Then I had a little conversation with an older relative, who mentioned the rag rugs her mother used to make from cast-offs and old sheets. PERFECT!

I picked her brain to see what she remembered of her mother’s technique and then did a little online research. This tutorial is my adaptation of that information… but I’m also going to include links at the end if you want to do more research into the different methods that are possible. Warning: this project requires a lot of eyeballing and figuring it out as you go along. This isn’t a project for someone who requires very specific directions because the need to adjust as you go along will drive you crazy.

So let’s get started!

Materials:
Cotton, cotton flannel, or wool fabric (old curtains or sheets are good, in colors that you like)
scissors
large darning needle
heavy thread in a coordinating color (carpet thread is good)

Directions:

1) Cut the fabric into 3″ wide strips. The longer the better, but preferably all the same length.

2) Divide the strips into three equal piles. Then, for each pile, sew the strips together end to end, until you have three long strips remaining (one for each pile). It’s very important that these three strips are the same length!
3) This step is for the anal people (if you’re not anal, skip ahead to #4). If you’re a type A personality, it probably will bother you to see all these raw edges hanging around. So this is the time for you to grab your iron and ironing board and make your strips nice and neat by folding the raw edges under, then folding your strips in half and ironing them. This keeps the raw edges out of sight. You quilters can probably do that with your fingers… you know, that finger ironing thing you do…I’m no good at it, so I used an iron for my samples.

4) Tack the top of the three strips together.
Place this tacked edge under something flat and heavy. This is important! Then begin braiding. You don’t have to braid very tightly, just aim at keeping the same tension throughout.

5) Depending on the length of your strips, you can either: braid until you have about a foot and a half of fabric unbraided and then begin to shape your rug, or braid until you have about a foot and a half of braided cord, then shape and sew the rug together as you go along. (I’d go the second route because I have to see a project coming together to keep myself motivated.)

6) Continue to cut strips and attach as needed to make your braid long enough to make the size rug you want.

7) Finish by tacking the end of the braid and then sewing it to the rug.

I only worked with a sample to create this tutorial (as you can see), so feel free to e-mail me if you have specific questions. And, as promised, the following are links to other tutorials that feature different techniques. I promise it won’t hurt my feelings if you decide one of their versions works better for you.

Variations:

• Do you crochet? Then you’ll love this version of a rag rug by Vintage Chica.
• Want to be more authentic? Read these braided rag rug instructions from 1932. (The pictures on this scan are great!)
• Find all kind of in depth information about rag rugs at Rugmaker’s Homestead.
• Not real instructions, but a pretty picture of a finished rug over at yes, i MADE that, to encourage those of you who might be freaked out about a project that requires winging it

Happy DIY-ing!

Shauntelle

In the Trenches featuring Nina in Vorm…

By now ya’ll have to know how much I love these interviews. It’s such a joy to me to be able to share the talented vision of these wonderful real life designers. Every now and then, I completely stumble upon someone who hasn’t been in the limelight before, but definitely SHOULD be… you know, someone like the insanely talented Aja, who truly should be designing professionally… or someone like our guest today, fellow blogger, Nina in Vorm.

In addition to having a gorgeous home, Nina is a spectacular collage artist. I was in complete shock to discover that she doesn’t sell her artwork professionally because it is so lovely, full of fun and whimsy! And that’s why bringing this interview to you today makes me even happier. Not only do I get to present you with a glimpse into her home, but I also get to introduce you to her art (with the totally selfish hope that your positive response will encourage her to start selling on Etsy so I can buy a piece or three!).

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First things first… where can I buy your art work, Nina? Do you have an etsy shop? I really adore your collages… the colors are so bright and vibrant and just full of fun… one of the things that I also admire about your home! Tell us what inspires your work?

Thanks for your nice words about my art work! So far, I haven’t been selling anything, drawing and making collages is just something I do for fun. I display things in my home or on my blog, and sometimes I give something away as a present, but that’s all. I’m not a professional artist and so far, I never had the confidence that anyone besides myself and some people close to me could be interested in (buying) it. Maybe one day I’ll feel confident enough to try and start selling something, but that’ll probably take some more time… It’s already a big step for me to show things on flickr and my blog!

I do sometimes think of selling the ceramics I make in an etsy-store, but my ceramic pieces are very frail and not so easy to send by mail. So I still have to figure that out. Í hope to start selling some stuff on etsy one day, also because I really like the concept of etsy, but that’ll probably take some more time and confidence…

About what inspires me in my work… That’s difficult to say. I love colors, patterns, vintage stuff, scandinavian prints. I read loads of interior decoration magazines and art and design blogs on the internet, so I get inspiration in a lot of different places and all the time. I try to create something new from all that inspiration that I get daily. I need to see beautiful things around me to get inspired, unfortunately I’m not the kind of person who has this enormous imagination and original creativity that can make anything out of nothing. When you put me in an empty room with just a blank piece of paper, I probably couldn’t draw anything good or interesting. It’s seeing beautiful things around me and thinking “hey, I could use those elements in a different way” that inspires me.

Your home reflects an interesting love of color and print… There’s definitely a sense of the whimsical there, but mostly I’m struck by the way it all comes together to create a sophisticated effect. Can you share with us how you manage to combine color and pattern in such a great way?

That’s a difficult question! I guess I just follow my instincts, so it’s kind of difficult to describe how I actually do that… I do have some sort of inner sense of color and pattern; I like certain contrasts, and I’m drawn to some colors or color combinations. I’ve never been afraid of color, but I feel like I’m still learning not to overdo the prints and colors. I’m trying to create more balance between color/print and whites, calm and quietness. But that’s still a struggle, because I’m naturally attracted to bold colors and patterns. I can really enjoy other people’s minimalist white homes, but it doesn’t work for me. I guess I was born like this!

Lately, I’ve been speaking with a lot of people who would like to start decorating their homes, but are afraid of making a mistake. Do you have any advice to share with readers who may be in that position? Have you ever bought something only to realize it completely didn’t work and how do you recover from that kind of challenge?

I often feel like I make mistakes all the time! But most mistakes can be undone if you really want to. For me, decorating my home is a way of playing around, it’s something I really enjoy. It’s great if something works out nicely, but if it doesn’t, I’m happy to try something new. The fact that most of my furniture isn’t that expensive also helps. When you buy very expensive stuff, it’s much harder to replace things.

I think people can look at their interior in different ways. Some people want to buy their whole interior once and don’t want to change it for the next ten years. I prefer to see my house as some sort of organic place that grows and changes. When something doesn’t work, I try to change it.

Sometimes I make mistakes myself that are difficult to change. I’m not happy with the curtains I chose for our living room. We bought them only two months ago and they weren’t cheap, so we can’t just buy other ones. So I guess I just have to live with them, and try to make a better choice next time…

While you do have some wallpaper and color on a few walls, mostly your home (apartment?) isn’t painted. Despite that, it doesn’t feel bland at all. Could you share any tips you have for creating a “colorful’ environment in a space where you can’t paint or put up wallpaper… in a rental apartment situation, for instance.

Haha, please don’t say the rest of our apartment isn’t painted, we’ve been painting for almost a month to get those walls white… :)! When we moved in, everything was yellow, red and purple… It was so ugly that it convinced us to keep most of the apartment white and simple. Our apartment is rental, but fortunately we’re allowed to paint and put up wallpaper. But if you aren’t allowed to do that, there are other options. You can, for example, frame a beautiful piece of wallpaper and put the frame on the wall. But you can also bring a lot of color in your house using colorful accessories. When I move in somewhere, color will always follow. it would be a better question to ask me how not to bring color into a house…!

I love all the artwork that you have displayed in your home. Do you have any tips to share for arranging a varied collection like yours in the best way, without the different pieces clashing?

I think that when you have an ‘eclectic interior’ like mine, different pieces don’t clash that easily. The clashing can actually be an interesting element of your style. Personally, I think interiors that are perfectly combined in similar style and colors are quite boring. But of course that doesn’t mean that you can just put anything together and call it eclectic. I mean, you can do that of course, but it doesn’t necessarily look good…

I think it’s all a question of following your instincts in shape, color, style. In displaying my artwork, I tried to vary between bold, colorful pieces and more modest pieces, for example in black and white. You have to find a balance between the pieces. But balance doesn’t mean that you can’t mix styles, sizes or colors. In displaying my art, one of the ways I used to create unity was using similar frames. No matter how different the works of art displayed are, there is unity in the way they are framed.

My favorite photo of your home is your “Laura Ashley Room.” How did you ever come up with the idea to hang the dress/shoes/jewelry? What inspires you to try avante garde ideas like that in your home?

I started hanging my favorite dresses on my bedroom walls in my former apartment. I have a bit of a dress-fetish, I probably have about a hundred dresses, and among them are great vintage ones and dresses with very pretty prints. It would be a shame to just leave those in the closet and only take them out when I wear them. So actually I was just looking for a way to look at my favorite clothes more often. There are many dresses that I hardly ever wear, but like this I can still enjoy them.

I don’t think you necessarily have to spend that much money on interior decoration. Of course, there are many expensive things that are beautiful, but there are also many ways of beautiful and original decorating for your house that cost little. If you use your creativity, you can find beauty everywhere.

How would you describe your decorating style? If you had to give a person only 4 tips to creating a look similar to yours, what would those tips be?

My style is eclectic, colorful, playful and with a lot of vintage items. I love it when objects have their own story, when they’ve already lived a whole life before they came to me. I like to make things myself, mix and match and use my creativity and imagination in my interior.

And my tips…

1) Go thrift shopping. You can find fun pieces that are not very common. Within some time, you can build a great mix & match-collection of special pieces.

2) Everything pretty can be a decoration object. Who cares if it originally had a completely different function; if you think it’s beautiful, why not display it as a work of art? We have a beautiful old table soccer game put on the wall like it’s a painting, I display nice clothes on the wall, and on my desk is a beautiful huge tin filled with olive oil. I just surround myself with what I consider beautiful, no matter what it’s function is.

3) Don’t be afraid of wallpaper! Covering a wall with nice (vintage) wallpaper can give a whole room a complete new look. When you choose a small wall, you don’t need much wallpaper so it’s a cheap option, but with an enormous effect. It can make a room cozy or chic, depending on the type of wallpaper you choose.

4) Invest in a few pieces that you really, really like. It’s not difficult to buy a bunch of standard accessories in a department store, but you’ll get bored with those easily. Wait till you really fall in love with something that’s special, maybe something handmade or vintage. When you really fall in love with something that can’t be found in just every store, it’s probably worth spending some more money on it. I spent quite some money on an amazing vintage advertorial elephant, but it’s so very worth it. There’s no day going by that I don’t look at it with content. It’s al real eyecatcher and totally unique: I haven’t ever seen it anywhere else ever. When you display your favorite items on a special spot where you can really enjoy them, you can have so much fun of them.
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Another great interview, wouldn’t you agree? It was especially hard to decide on photos to accompany Nina’s interview because she had so many great ones to choose from. And then there are the great pictures of her art… so this is one time you HAVE to visit her flickr account! (But no blaming me if you spend an hour visiting, okay?) You can also find out more about Nina by visiting her blog, NinainVorm– be sure to let her know you saw her interview here!

As usual, don’t forget to leave comments on this post so she’ll know how much we enjoyed our peek into her home. And if you enjoyed this peek, be sure to subscribe to the new A Beautiful Abode Magazine, which will feature exclusive content including more “In the Trenches” interviews with expanded photos! The magazine is free, but only subscribers can get a copy… so don’t wait, subscribe by sending me an e-mail: snhamlett at gmail dot com, subject line - subscribe Beautiful.

Tomorrow Tricia and I will share updates on Elizabeth’s nursery. See ya then!

xoxo,

Shauntelle

Coming Attractions…

I’m skipping my normal Tackle It Tuesday post because:

a) I didn’t do much tackling today (or this past weekend)

and

b) I have exciting news to share about plans for A Beautiful Abode!

First, I’m so excited to tell you that I’m in the process of working on an AWESOME interview with two very special ladies. Carrie & Danielle have been called style shrinks… the essence of their business is to help us, you and me, live our lives more authentically. Through a process of in-depth inquiry, Carrie & Danielle have assisted over 600 clients in discovering their unique style statements, providing them with a powerful compass for creating a more fulfilling, authentic life.

I have been secretly fiending for a session with them, but even with the currency difference (they’re Canadian), it was out of my price range. So you can’t imagine how happy I was to learn that their book, Style Statement, will be released in April. As I was checking for information about pre-ordering the book, it occurred to me that an interview with them would be a great post for Inspiration Friday. And badda-bing, badda-boom, an e-mail or two later, I had permission to interview them!

Carrie & Danielle have been featured in so many major magazines, I can’t start to name them all (Domino and Elle Canada to name a couple), so it’s just a wonder that I will get to feature them here, picking their brains for info to help us all create beautiful homes that are a real reflection and celebration of our spirits.

You’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to read the interview, but in the meanwhile, go on over to their site and sign up for their Friday Focus. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, I’m also planning the first issue of the A Beautiful Abode Magazine! It’s going to be a free electronic magazine in the same vein as this blog except MORE… as in

• more “In the Trenches” interviews with an extended photo spread of fantastic homes
• more DIY projects, including $20 projects
• more Inspiration

Even better, you can also expect:

• Tips from professional designers
• Thought provoking articles about the psychology of home
• Reviews of online and real world shops
• Budget decorating resource lists
• Indie Artist features
• an Advice column

and contests. DEFINITELY contests!

This is content that will be exclusive to the A Beautiful Abode Magazine. You won’t find it here on the blog or anywhere else. All free.

The catch is that you have to subscribe to get it. Subscribers will get a link for the free download sent to them every two months. That way you can download and read it at your leisure. Sound cool? Then subscribe… I haven’t set up the automatic subscription thingy yet, so for the time being, send an e-mail to me at snhamlett at gmail dot com with subscribe Beautiful in the subject. And don’t worry, I promise, no spam or selling your address for ANY reason. The only time you’ll hear from me is when it’s time to download the magazine… unless you send me your birth date. Then you’ll get a virtual b-day card!

Whew! Just talking about it all has worn me out… but in a good way. It’s such a wonderful feeling to know that I can share my decorating obsessions with ya’ll and maybe help someone along in beautifying their home on a budget too. Ya’ll make writing this blog a complete joy!

That’s it for tonight. Don’t forget to peek back in tomorrow afternoon for the newest “In the Trenches” interview!

xoxo,

Shauntelle

Craigslist Monday: What $20 will buy…

Happy Monday bargain hunters!

I received such a nice response to last week’s Craigslist Monday that I thought I’d try it again. This time I set my goal even lower, and decided to see what a $20 bill would buy. I’ll admit I figured it would end up being a couple of pillows… but in the end, I was pleasantly surprised at the deals I came across. Check ‘em out:

$15 for the pair

Honestly, I was in shock when I found these. It’s the PAIR for $15! If you don’t understand my excitement, then you need to look here and here to see comparable vintage style lamps retailing for over $150 each. If I could have found a good place to use them in my townhouse, they would definitely have come home with me. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/612786300.html

$20 for the pair

Okay, I can see some of you wincing at these chairs. They aren’t my style either… BUT they have my favorite shade of orange AND they are only $20 for the pair. As I considered them, it occurred to me that with some fabric glue and some trim or cool fabric, you could really rock these out. I’m thinking something cool and funky, Anthropologie style… maybe applying some crewel work to the back like this or picking a large pattern fabric similar to this rug and applying a medallion in the center of each chair’s back. A little imagination and you could easily end up with a high design look for waay less than $40. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/616847380.html

Elbow grease, paint, and $10

Yes, this is a cheap laminate bookcase. Nothing special. But did you visit any of the links from Friday’s inspiration post? Specifically this link which transformed a plain old cheapie bookcase just like this $10 beauty into this:

Cool, right? This is a project that’s actually on my “to do” list and just think how much fancy storage you could get for $20 (counting the $10 for the bookcase, $4 for spray paint, and another $6 for the plumbing pipes). http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/616361689.html

There were plenty of other $10-$20 finds, including shelving, side tables, coffee tables, and other lamps, but these were the ones that inspired me the most at first glance.

I realize that many of you that read my blog aren’t in the Atlanta area or even close… even though it makes me sad that you can’t get in on these good bargains, the main reason I keep up withCraigslist Monday is to encourage you to look at things with an open mind. I think that the more you fill yourself with inspiring images and project ideas, the easier it is for you to imagine new and unexpected ways to transform items that are within your budget into pieces that you can feel proud of. And THAT is the real secret to being a successful budget decorator!

Until tomorrow!

Shauntelle

Full moon madness…

I’m feeling really guilty that I haven’t posted since Wednesday, but I’m feeling really worn out this week and can’t seem to put two words together in a coherent manner.  So I’m going to take a little break.  I’ll be back next week with our regularly scheduled posts, no worries!  I will ask though that if ya’ll could send positive thoughts/prayers my way, I’d appreciate it…

In the meanwhile, here’s a few links that you might find inspiring today:

• 6 Tips for a Tidy Scrapbook Closet
  
• 9 Beautiful Bookcase Makeover (today’s photo is courtesy this article)
• 3 Step Makeover:  Master Bedroom
• Design Mom: Wheat Grass (I’m going to work on this one this weekend)
• Vintage Chica (a new blog find I’ve been enjoying)
• Whiteport (beautiful white wares from an Australian company)

I hope you all have a very lovely Easter!  See ya next week…

Shauntelle

In the Trenches featuring Carissa, the Brown Eyed Fox…

When I first started the “In the Trenches” interviews, I was a little worried that I had set myself up for failure. I mean, we started off with a bang, touring Manuela’s home, and I was afraid that I would have a hard time continually finding real life decorators who could live up to that high standard.

Happily, that hasn’t been the case. I continually run across more and more amazingly talented home decorators. Ladies (so far, but I’m not sexist) who I can’t wait to introduce to you, whose creative minds I want to pick so that you and I can both benefit from the secrets of their great design talent. Today’s feature is the perfect example of this.

Carissa’s home is absolutely gorgeous. Did you hear me say gorgeous? I could gush about it for hours. But I won’t. Instead, I’ll just get to the interview and the pictures so you can judge for yourself… but fair warning, I’ve got dibbs on the first open invitation to spend the night! (And I will fight you old school, West Side story dance-off for it too!) : )

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Wow. That’s all I can say after looking at pictures of your home. just. WOW. And, to add to that, do you have guest room where I can come for a vacation? I wouldn’t go anywhere, just wander through your house looking at every little thing. LOL! Will you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you developed such a wonderful eye for design?

Oh… thanks SO much! We love to have guests… room is always ready & waiting!
A bit about myself… hmmm. I’ve been married for ten years & am blessed to be mom to two little girls! I have an online shop that quenches my creative passion! I love & look forward to my coffee in the morning! Flee markets make me want to sing with joy! Mexican food makes me smile BIG!

An eye for design… thanks! I have had this compliment before… I am really not exactly sure where it comes from other than I think I just “see it”… “get it”… and am willing to “try it”!

The tagline for your shop, Brown-eyed Fox, is “the art of whimsy.” I can definitely see this enjoyment of the whimsical in your home’s interior. Can you define this design philosophy (so to speak) for us? What inspires you and how do you draw from that inspiration to decorate your home?

I really just believe in surrounding myself with things that I love & make me happy! I think… It’s your home… and your home should reflect who YOU are!

I’m completely enamored with the little vignettes that are everywhere in your home. I believe it’s those arrangements of accessories that really give a home that finishing touch and show the owner’s personality. How do you manage to display your love of the whimsical in such a way that your home feels pulled together, rather than cluttered and overwhelming?

Keeping it simple… keeping it to the things I treasure most. When you display collections together… keeping like things with like things there is more interest. Using wall space and going vertical rather than horizontal is great too. Vignettes… I think… are like little windows into the home owner’s soul. Placing what you love most out to enjoy always. It may be a quilt that has been around for generations… a quirky souvenir found on a special trip or a dainty dish that belonged to your great-grandmother… these make a house your home!

This month, my personal challenge is to tackle organizing the hidden clutter in my home… you know, the stuff that accumulates in the cabinets, in my craft space, and bedside… One of the things I noticed in your home is how attractively organized it is…I especially admired the way you manage to have loads of books without them taking away from the design of your home. Do you have any advice to share with me and my readers regarding organization?

ah yes… we all have storage that seems to grow all on it’s own… over time we do collect! Each closet and cabinet should serve a purpose… store specific items. I think baskets & bins are the BEST thing ever! Use them to hold linens… those tiny kid’s toys… items to be donated… party supplies… snacks in the pantry… your children’s keepsakes… the possibilities are endless! Then… when you pop a tag labeling what’s in the container it makes organization & cleaning much easier!

Books can add a lot of warmth to a room… the key… change it up! In shelving… try standing them AND stacking them… while still keeping open space… this will help prevent it from looking cluttered. .

I almost hesitate to ask this because I think you are one of the lucky people who are born with a great sense of style and a perfect eye… despite that, have you had any decorating “oops” as you’ve created your home? If so, what was it, and how did you bounce back and rectify the mistake?

I think really there are no mistakes… just stepping stones… changing needs… maybe changing tastes. I rearrange furniture and things in our home constantly. Very often I will have a neighbor come over who has been in our home thousands of times and they will ask “when did you get that”… referring to something that has been around for years! Sometimes I may try an arrangement that just doesn’t work… just isn’t real-life livable. That’s okay… easily fixed! You have to try things sometimes to know whether you will like it! If you’re willing to try… you’re likely to find some fun alternatives!
What would you consider your favorite DIY project in your home? Can you describe your process for coming up with the idea for that project and your DIY home projects in general?

This is a tough one to answer… I am BIG on DIY! Many times it is a result of tight funds or just wanting to give a fresh look to something. I pretty much am always “working” on something. The coffee table in our family room was a fun project. An old salvaged door… legs from a home improvement store… a fresh coat of paint… some vintage door hardware and POOF a fun new table! I’m willing to tackle anything… the reward is so great and it feels good to create something all your own!

The focus of A Beautiful Abode is providing inspiration, tips, and resources for creating a beautiful home on a tight budget? What would you say are your top 5 tips for decorating on a budget?

my nifty two cents…

1. Try to buy only what you really love… it really speaks to your style… your heart!

2. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Just go for it! Use what you already have in a new way… keeps things fresh… if you don’t like it you just change it back!

3. Pull the furniture away from the walls! please! Make conversation areas within the room… this way you can actually hear & see to whom you’re talking!

4. Make pretty baskets your friend… they are attractive and a great way to keep things handy but out of sight.

5. Think BIG… if ever in doubt which size to buy… buy the bigger one. My personal opinion. A bunch of little things in a room can read as clutter.

one more …

6. As you’ve heard before… it is best to display things in odd numbers. Three is always good!

Finally, on a sorta unrelated note… have you ever considered selling your photographs in your shop? There are more than a couple that I’d love to hang on my wall… any tips to share on taking better photos?

Oh… so nice of you to say! I LOVE taking pictures! I think my favorite pictures are usually ones where I use natural lighting (no flash)… take the picture off-center… and really zoom in on the object or person.

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Isn’t Carissa a doll? You can view more of her beautiful home by visiting her flickr page. And please drop by her shop, Brown Eyed Fox, to enjoy her whimsical art, jewelry, and belt buckles. But don’t blame me if it induces a buying frenzy! As always, don’t forget to leave a comment here to show our guest how much we appreciate her sharing herself and her lovely home with us!

Tomorrow, we’ll kick off our first DIY project for baby Elizabeth’s nursery, so be sure to tune in as the big nursery renovation continues!

Happy decorating!

Shauntelle

Tackle It Tuesday: Paint, Staples, and Goodies, oh my!

This is a late post and really, I’m exhausted from everything I’ve tried to get accomplished before the day was over. Nothing like guilt to motivate you to get moving, right?

So, instead of a long post, you’re going to get a short pictorial. Just imagine this is a decorating task list board book, okay?

Here we go!

I’ve had a fabulous $12 shower curtain just waiting to be chopped up and used to reupholster my dining room chairs. That finally happened:

Before (as presented by my precocious cat, Chloe)

The shower curtain replaces the $4 orange table cloth I used previously. Chloe will be sad to see that fabric go, since she was especially fond of clawing it.

After versus Before

It’s a toned down look, but more elegant. I promise you’ll see the full set once I get the final missing element for my center piece.

I’m also sooooo close to unveiling the final makeover of the children’s bedroom. My friend Sarah says I’ve been building the tension… sorry, it was unintentional. The truth is sickness and bad mojo has made it slow going. But the painting is finally done and here’s a little peek:

I’ve also finished the sewing for their room, painted their desks, and mounted their wall bookshelves. Fingers crossed that their desks will be mounted and window treatments hung this weekend. Then you’ll get to enjoy the big reveal on Tuesday… hopefully!

Finally, and most importantly, I actually got Running in Chico’s goody bag off to the post office today. So, with her permission, I’m giving you a shot of what she can expect:

Hopefully the journal, picture frame, and book will be worth the extra week of extreme patience she showed… oh, and Michelle, the flower on the wrapping paper is actually a leather pin that you can use to decorate a pillow or a purse or even your hair! I hope you enjoy them (or at least find them worth regifting!). I loved the picture frame so much, I bought one for my bedroom!

So that’s my update today. Don’t forget to go check out what else is being tackled:

I’ve been tagged!

Jen over at Sanctuary Arts at Home tagged me!  I’m so excited because it’s the first time I’ve been tagged since I started blogging!

She wants me to tell ya’ll 10 weird things about me and then I get to tag 3 other bloggers… A whole ten things, huh? It couldn’t be three or five…  sigh.  Well, here goes:

10 Weird Things About Shauntelle

1.  I develop color obsessions.  No. Seriously.  My favorite colors right now are certain blues, greens, and orange.  Practically all my shirts and dresses are one of those colors (or a combination of those colors).  And most of the items that I’m attracted to for decorating my home are one of those colors.  Pretty much whatever color is dominating my wardrobe at any given time is also dominating my home, my stationary, my jewelry, and my desktop.

2. I love country music.  Actually, I really love a wide variety of music, but I do adore country music.  Which wouldn’t be weird except I’m black… and ya know, it’s just not the standard thing… (but the times, they are a-changin’… anybody see Bobby Brown on Gone Country?).

3.   When I’m in the car by myself, I only listen to the French pop station on our satellite radio.  Yes, I took the mandatory language classes in high school/college, but no, I don’t understand a thing they’re singing.  Still, it’s my favorite station.

4.  I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 26.  So I’ve only been driving for 7 years.  (Not so strange in some big cities with great public transportation, but an oddity down South in Atlanta, where people start sneaking out to drive their parent’s cars when they’re 14.)

5.  I don’t like breakfast food.  I’ll cook breakfast for everyone else then eat leftover dinner… I like bacon sometimes, but that’s it.

6.   Ice gives me the heebie-jeebies.  I drink almost everything room temperature or hot.  And I can only drink something with ice in it if I have a straw and my mouth never touches an ice cube.

7.  I’m too chicken to watch horror movies, but I’m obsessed with watching all the ghost hunting shows on cable.   Especially the one with the Penn State students.

8.  I can generally tell you what store the furniture in most home decorating shows (and many commercials) comes from.

9.  I LOVE to read but have stopped buying books because I can’t stand clutter.  This is a serious connundrum in my life…

10.  I read really, really, really fast.  As in I read the last two Harry Potter books back to back in one day.   And I have on several occasions made my husband upset by borrowing 5 or 6 books from the library and finished them in a couple of days.

That’s it for me!  Now I’m tagging Tricia of Living at the Speed of Life, Courtney at Nesting Instincts, and Kate at My Journey.  The rules are simple ladies.  Post 10 weird things about yourself on your blog and then tag three other bloggers.  You can’t tag the person who tagged you, so make sure you go back and let them know when your post is up.  That’s it!  Can’t wait to learn more about ya’ll.

(And for those who are wondering, my regular Tackle It Tuesday post will be up later today.  Lucky you, two posts for the price of one!  lol)