In the Trenches featuring Kristy, aka Vintage Pleasure

Happy Wednesday budget decorators!

I’m glad to be back with another “In the Trenches” interview today. To be honest, this interview was scheduled to go live well over two weeks ago, but my crazy offline life really threw a wrench in my online plans. For that I offer my sincerest apology to you, my dearest readers, and to Kristy, who has been waiting so patiently to see her interview go live!

I ran across photos of Kristy’s home while browsing for inspiration for baby Elizabeth’s nursery and was immediately charmed by every photo! I could rave on and on about how I’m ready to move in any time she offers an invitation, but instead I’ll keep my introduction brief and let you discover the lovely Kristy and her home for yourself…

******************
Let’s start off by finding out more about you… I know you’re an extremely creative stay at home mom of four. How would you describe your decorating style?

I live just on the outskirts of Manchester,UK in an Edwardian house that needed total renovation from new bathrooms to complete redecoration. Partly due to financial necessity I have become addicted to thrifting, but I must admit that I just love vintage pieces so much. I love the history and the integrity they hold. I would say that my decorating style is definitely ecclectic. I am too much of a vintage loving pack-rat to stick to any one style or era for decor. I want my home to look like it has evolved rather than been staged and I really don’t like matchy matchy things. Any imperfections would drive me mad!

One of the things I love about your home is the way you intermingle vintage pieces with more modern/contemporary pieces. I think if I tried to do that, my home would just end up looking like a hodge podge of mess; your home, however, feels so pulled together and charming. How do you manage to create that balance?

I try only to buy things that I really love or make me smile. I think the best decor advice I was given was to always buy things you love when you see them. Don’t worry about where they will go. Eventually you will find a home for them. Don’t be scared to live with something for a while and move it around until it feels right. That’s the joy of many thrifted pieces as they really are affordable. I love the juxtaposition of a vintage piece next to a hopefully modern classic. Like my edwardian armchairs next to my glass coffee table. I love vintage pieces or modern pieces but I really don’t like modern pieces pretending to be vintage.

I also try to keep in mind certain colours for each room. So for example my kitchen is based around the colours of my collection of 1940’s china (that we use everyday by the way)- pastel pink, yellow, green, and blue against a white background. The same way a lot of people feel you should always have an element of black in a room, I always include a little red. It’s a colour that really lifts my mood even in very small doses.

I have to admit that while exploring your Flickr photos, I became completely fascinated by the images from your inspiration books. Will you tell us a little bit about them? How/why did you start them and how do they assist you in designing your home? (And just for my own curiousity, are they made from altered books? I noticed type written words in the background of several pages…)

My inspiration books are one of my most valuable decorating tools. I love interior magazines but got really fed up having to flick through them to find the images I wanted. I decided to start a scrap book of torn out photos. As I tend to look for a vintage option before a new one I picked up a couple of old household encyclopedia for a pound in a charity shop. I ripped out about half of the pages (otherwise it gets too thick to close) and kept any interesting pages. I just stick my torn images directly onto the pages and build them up randomly. It is so good to be able to flick through them and they really highlight exactly what I like. Themes and colours emerge naturally and keep me focused.

What would you say has been your greatest challenge decorating your home so far? Is this a challenge that you’ve conquered? If so, will you share how you managed the challenge? If not, do you have any ideas about how you’ll tackle this challenge?

Most rooms have had to go back to bare brick so I guess the biggest challenge has been raising a family in a building site! My girls are a dab hand at avoiding pots of paint and the odd tool lying around. Specifically though I think that the kitchen renovation was the most major undertaking. It had been heavily remodelled between the 60’s and the 80’s and had been stripped of all its character. It was just a box with ugly units and dark appliances. We reinstated the chimney breast and restored the doors and windows back to their original positions. The ceiling was also raised to it’s original level. Even the floor had to be taken up and relaid.

To keep my sanity I insisted on keeping my dishwasher plumbed in throughout the whole renovation. It caused many raised eyebrows from tradesmen but helped me so much. I did have a very clear idea in my head of how I wanted the room to feel but was flexible about how to achieve that. The best advice I can give when tackling such a big job is to research and plan then plan some more. Shop around as there is always a more economical alternative. Always try and see the funny side of any catastrophies (of which we had many!).

Another thing that I love about your home is how family friendly it is. You’ve managed to create a place that looks comfortable for everyone, male/female, adult and child. What tips can you share on how to create an attractive yet comfortable family home?

I am constantly juggling the balance of aesthetics versus practicality. To create a family home that really works, storage has to be your top priority. If the storage looks good then you are halfway there. Everything needs to have a place. I utilise lots of baskets and boxes. You can never have too many!

Ours is not a show home, it’s a family home that really has to work hard for us. My personal taste has to be blended with the rest of the family especially my aspiring minimalist husband. He doesn’t always have the first choice but he always has the last word and gets to say what stays or goes. It’s important not to fall into the trap of compromising each individual taste too much. If you do, then you end up with pieces that nobody really loves. I have my own little corners that are just mine and hubby has a few statement pieces that he loves too. The girls get to input lots of ideas in their own spaces and I love to display their artwork alongside those purchased elsewhere. It gives them a sense of belonging and adds a relaxed feel to schemes.

I know that you are a very crafty lady and have recently begun an etsy shop to sell your creations. Do you find that your crafting interests influence your design of your home? If so, in what ways? Are there areas of your home where you can see the colors or style have definitely been influenced or inspired by your crafting interests/style?

I think that my home is more heavily influenced by the creativeness of others. By all the fantastic artwork available through etsy especially. Also through seeing other peoples homes in blogs and on Flickr. My mind is always sparked by other peoples decor ideas and how I can interprete them in my own way.

Finally, if you were asked to share 3 tips with someone who was just starting off decorating their home on a budget, what would you say?

1. Always buy what you love and if you can’t find it in your price bracket then wait. You’ll either save up for it or an affordable alternative will turn up.
2. Regularily check out your local charity/thrift shops, car-boots, yard sales, freecycle etc. It always amazes me just what people are willing to give away.
3.Look at as many decor images as you can so that you can work out what you like and, just as importantly, don’t like. It will help define your own style. That way you are less likely to buy things you really don’t like or need.

***********************

As usual, I had a really hard time narrowing down the choices of photos to accompany the interview, so you HAVE to go visit Flickr to see more of Kristy’s beautiful home! You can also visit her blog, Vintage Pleasure, to learn more about this sweet lady, her family, and all her great bargain hunting finds. Kristy, I can’t thank you enough for sharing your home with my readers or for being so patient to see this post go live!

Until next time - Shauntelle

Tackle It Tuesday: Movin’ stuff around…

So last week I was complaining that I felt like my brown sofa sucked all the light out of my downstairs. I was really on the verge of trying to talk my husband into letting me sell it and buy a (new to me) one, but luckily, you all offered me great suggestions that saved the day! I spent time this past weekend shopping for fabric to make pillows and moving stuff around. The pillows aren’t made yet, but I can’t tell you how much of a difference moving things around made!

I’ve seen Courtney’s Before and Afters, so I should have known what a dramatic difference rearranging the furniture could make… but really, WOW!

Old conversation/television watching arrangement:

New conversation/television watching arrangement:

I still need something better to put the television on, but hubby has vetoed buying a new tv stand until he buys his dream flat screen. But I think the new placement helps to balance that issue out for now.

Old reading nook:

New quiet conversation area:

What I love about this new arrangement is that the chinese cabinet that my mother gave me from her home is now in a position where people can see and appreciate it. Plus this arrangement gives hubby and I a little place to sit together and relax at the end of the day. I think I need to add an ottoman and maybe a side table to round it out but once again, just rearranging things opened that space up and made it feel so much lighter.

Finally, there’s a new reading nook.

Nook before:

Nook after:

This is the only area I’m not satisfied with. Probably because this area was the only “finished” feeling area for so long, it’s hard to get used to thinking of it as a work-in-progress. Hubby says he doesn’t like the big chair there because it feels too big. I kind of like the way the weight of it balance out the weight of the sofa on the opposite wall. I already had plans to make a slipcover for the chair and when I do, I’m going to get rid of the “overstuffed” back pillow and make a couple of more modern looking ones to replace it… what do ya’ll think? Should I sell the chair and get a small more modern little loveseat to go in that area instead? (It wouldn’t be a big loss, I bought it for $40 so I’m pretty sure I could sell it for the same amount).

That’s my Tackle for this Tuesday. Don’t forget to check out what everyone else is up to… I love how motivating this is!

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!).

*************

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.
***********

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

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!) : )

**********

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.

**********

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

In the Trenches featuring Tinafb1…

I can not believe that it’s MARCH! Yeah, I know that it’s been March for a good week now, but I’m just really adjusting to that fact. With Spring right around the corner, I’m feeling the need to freshen my home… not just beautify, but deep clean and organize. (And that feeling seems to be one that’s in the design blog air, if you’ve been wandering around!)

Because I’m a visual person, the beginning of any project for me is finding visual inspiration… and that means a visit to my favorite voyeur site… Flickr! That’s where I found today’s wonderful budget decorator.

Over and over I was struck by Tina’s fresh and eclectic style. I’m a huge fan of a home that looks lived in… like you could pull off your shoes and sink into a chair and just feel happy and peaceful. Or you could curl up on the floor and play a boardgame. No worries of breaking a thing, but still be surrounded by beauty. And that’s how I see Tina’s home. A place for joyful living… that happens to be AMAZINGLY organized as well. Definitely inspiration for me.

And for you. So read on, and be inspired!
***********

Since I stumbled upon photos of your home via Flickr, I know nothing about you, except that I adore your home! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Tina and a stay at home mother of four boys, ages are 9, 8, 4, and 3. We live in central Maryland. My husband and I have recently bought our first home after 10 years of moving around while my husband finished graduate school and established his social work career. We’re SO excited to finally feel settled in a house that we love and that is located in a fabulous community.

What struck me from photos of your home is the sense of creative playfulness that comes across. How would you describe your style? What inspires you in decorating your home?

Hmmm, I suppose I would describe my style as modern vintage eclectic, with a touch of minimalism. How’s that for a mixed up answer? Seriously, I like clean lines and simple furniture. I like color and light to be part of my home. I’m attracted to things with a vintage look. I want my house to be comfortable for my family and guests. I have kids who run trucks through the house and jump on the furniture, so I want to keep it an open space for them to play.

I like to be surrounded by things that have meaning and that I love. I don’t like to be overwhelmed by stuff that has no purpose or special memory attached. For example, my grandparents helped to raise me and I have so many good memories of them. So my house today has a little bit of them in every room like the chest that my granddaddy built that sits at my front door, some of the books that I used curl up in front of their fireplace reading are spread throughout my home, and the scrapbook of Grandmama memories that sits on my desk.

Much of my inspiration comes from my mother and grandmother, who both had beautiful, thoughtfully decorated homes. And before we moved into this house, I spent hours looking at decorating websites, furniture catalogs, and flickr groups. My mother and grandmother gave me focus for decorating and the research gave me direction.

What would you say has been your greatest challenge in decorating your home? Have you found a solution to this challenge and if so, would you share that solution with us?

One of the biggest challenges is finances. With four kids, the decorating budget has to be low on the priority list. So I’ve learned to be creative. One thing that really helps is that my husband is also a master carpenter, as well as being a social worker. He uses that talent to build stuff for us, like our living room entertainment center and 2 of the boys’ dressers. He has just started on a built in unit for our basement spare room. It will be a combination of desks, storage, and entertainment center. So for less than $300 and in a few hours, he can build a custom piece of furniture that he would ordinarily charge a customer a few thousand dollars to build in their home!

Another thing I do is repurpose things like all of my glass mason jars that were literally dug up from the back yard at my old house. I put them through the dishwasher a few times and now use them for all sorts of things like holding dry goods and craft supplies, as vases, and as part of the décor in rooms, like the one holding beach stones in the
bathroom.

I also shop at all sorts of places like thrift and consignment stores, yard sales, craft stores, and Craig’s List, with a good bit of Ikea mixed in. Freecycle is also a fabulous resource for stuff for the home, both to get and give away. We’ve gotten a complete set of
wooden bunk beds, metal shelving, one of the kids’ toy shelves, and much more from people who just don’t need them anymore. And we’ve also been able to give away our unnecessary stuff, knowing that it will continue to be put to good use.

One of the things that I admire about your home is the way that it is so organized. I know you’re a crafty person… how do you manage to contain your crafting stash so that it’s organized and doesn’t take over your home?

When we moved here, I knew that my craft space would be in the living room, so I searched Craigslist for a few weeks to find a secretary style desk so I could do my crafty stuff freely, but be able to hide it away when necessary. On the open shelves, I use a combination of different boxes, baskets, and drawers to keep everything in. Everything has a space that makes sense to me.

The most important thing is that when I’m done a craft, I clean everything up. It sounds so simple, but it was a technique that I had to learn. I used to have stacks of paper and scraps out on my desk, thinking I’d use them on the next project, only to keep adding to the stacks until they took over my table and no crafting could take place until I spent hours cleaning up. Now, I put everything away each time so I know where it is the next time I sit down to create.

I’ve also learned not to jump into new crafts all at once. I just Freecycled a boatload of jewelry making supplies that I bought and only used for about a month. So now, if I want to try something new, I buy the supplies for one particular project and see how it goes.

Another thing I noticed about your home is that you have managed to keep toys from overtaking you… how have you done this?

The simplest answer is that I don’t buy a lot of new toys. I know what toys the kids love (legos, dress up stuff, Little People, foam dart guns, etc), so I always have them around. And I try to keep them relatively organized by using bins for different categories of toys, so action figures have one bin, matchbox cars another bin, etc. They don’t always stay organized because kids’ idea of clean up is usually to throw stuff in the closest bin, but it’s pretty easy to get them back under control if I take a few minutes to help.

For birthdays and Christmas, they only get a few new toys and we do something fun as part of their gift, like take some friends to the movies or have a sleepover. That way, they have material gifts as well as good memories for their birthdays. And as I’m buying gifts, I visualize where they will go in our house. Everything that comes into my house must have a place, if it’s toys, decorative items, or even food. There has to be somewhere for it to go or it just becomes clutter. So if there’s not a space for new toys, I try to make one by either moving stuff around or getting rid of things.

I also use the kids’ closets to store toys. Since I have boys, there aren’t a lot of kids’ clothes that need to be hung, so their bedroom closets have plenty of space for shelves and bins. For the younger kids, I usually keep the closet doors closed until they get bored, then I open it up and they feel like they have a whole set of new toys to play with!The older boys keep their precious collections and not-to-be-touched-by-younger-brother toys in their closet.

Materials for organizing can often be really unattractive… especially inexpensive organizing products. Do you have any tips to share with readers about enhancing the visual appeal of inexpensive organizing products?

This is another place where shopping around has helped me. For example, I just bought a huge bag of high quality baskets and bins from Craigslist for $10! Yard sales, craft stores, and Ikea are also good places to find better looking organizing stuff.

You can also dress up ordinary organizing products with basic craft supplies. Take the drawer unit on my desk, for example. It was $12 at Ikea. I used about $4 worth of scrapbooking paper and some glue to make a custom looking piece that is very useful. I did the same thing with the boys’ landing area “mail boxes” by painting chipboard letters and gluing them onto each box to personalize them.

You can do all sorts of crafty stuff to ordinary objects that you already have in your recycle bin. Think about using paint, paper, or wallpaper scraps to cover cigar, lunch, or shoe boxes; decorating inexpensive baskets with ribbons or a fabric liner; or even covering tin cans or glass jars with decorative paper. Think of how cute a row of paper covered baby food jars could be if they were put in a windowsill, holding a few small spring flowers from the yard! Those same jars could then be used to hold buttons, paint brushes, spare change, paper clips, etc.

Finally, if you could offer readers just one piece of advice for creating a cozy, pretty, organized home like yours, what would it be?

Keep what you love and/or use regularly, get rid of the rest. It’s that simple.

**************

Wasn’t that just the best advice?  If you’d like to see more of Tina’s cozy home or pictures of the lovely crafts she makes, check out her photos on Flickr.  And please leave your comments here to let her know how much we truly appreciate her sharing such great advice with us!

And don’t forget to come back tomorrow and check out the plan for baby Elizabeth’s nursery!  

In the Trenches featuring Benita of Chez Larsson

Two things struck me immediately about the home of today’s budget designer. First, everything was amazingly, immaculately organized. And second, it was the most gorgeous and warm use of a mostly white palette that I’ve ever seen.

Chez Larsson is a great mix of whimsy and modern aesthetic. Amusing and surprising collections abound everywhere within Benita’s home, yet somehow she manages to arrange everything in a way that maintains a spacious and decidely uncluttered effect.

You know what really shoved me over the edge to contact her for an interview? Her laundry room! When a person can create a laundry room that makes me want to go hang out and fold clothes there… well that’s a person that needs to be featured here! : ) But don’t take my word for… read on to find out for yourself!

******

Please tell us a little bit about yourself… how did your interest in interior design develop?

I was an au pair in California in 1984 and I bought a lot of interior design magazines while I was there. When it was time to go home and pack my belongings I realised there was no way I could bring the entire magazines with me because they were so heavy so I started tearing out the pages I liked the most. When I got home I put the pages in files. I was 20 years old at the time.

I still have the files 23 years later and still add to them when I find great magazine spreads I want to keep. Flipping through the files when I got back to Sweden made me realise that I wanted to work in the field of interior design. A little while later in 1986 I applied and got an internship at the IKEA head offices in Älmhult (the birth place of the company). I was an intern for a year and then stayed on for two more as an interior designer. I travelled quite a bit remodeling existing stores but also participating in new openings, like for instance the first one in the UK.

How would you describe your design aesthetic and how has your career as a merchandiser influenced your designs?

I used to describe it “clean cut country with a twist” but I think it’s evolved into more “comfy scandi modern on a shoestring” but it’s really difficult to put a name on it. It would be interesting to hear how would you describe it! What I do for a living doesn’t influence my home much at all. That’s my professional side where I try to create beautiful successful campaigns but which are rarely to my own taste. I do like the look of them when they are done, don’t get me wrong, but I would never be caught dead with any of the props in my own house if you see what I mean

Although it’s incredibly hard to choose, I think my favorite area in your home is your “boat room.” Can you tell us a little bit about the process of designing that room? Did you collect boating themed books prior to creating the room or did the idea of the room come first?

It’s funny that the boat room is your favourite. This sounds horrible but it’s my least favourite one… I think it’s too cluttered. The boat room is a room situated in our “sous terrain” basement. We use it as a guest room but this is also where my husband keeps all his boat paraphenalia, books on boats, photos from his sailing adventures and prizes he’s won. He sails classic 6 meter yachts and has participated in many international regattas and world cups. The boat room is the one room where he can do whatever he likes decor wise. I’m glad it’s there or I’d have the stuff all over the place. I think you understand now that I’m not a sailor…

I believe that you may have the only monochromatic home I’ve ever seen that I find very warm and inviting. How do you manage to work with a mostly white palette without it being cold or too modern? What influenced/inspired you to work with a mostly white palette?

Thank you! I’ve heard this from others too. I’m told it looks really homey which makes me proud as that’s exactly what I’m aiming for. I really want it to be a comfy, homey place for us as family to enjoy but still stylish.

I think the key is to not be too serious when you decorate. I display things I like regardless if they were meant for display or not. Anything goes if we like the look of it. Old wooden toys, my son’s craft projects, my husbands paintings, cartoon art etc. Keeping the backdrop mostly white enables us to change things around on a whim at very little cost.

Not only do you have a lot of white in your home, but your home is EXTREMELY organized. Even your son’s room is extraordinarily organized. Every mother out there is going to wonder… how do you maintain everything with a child?

I do clean a lot… but I’m one of those (rare?) people who enjoys cleaning. I also love organizing. My son’s now almost 14 and his interests don’t create the same kind of chaos they did when he was younger and there was Lego on the floor a lot of the time. But basically I think what you need to do is to give kids the means to keep their things in order. If there is a crate for all the Lego at the end of the day and a designated spot for the crate it’s really pretty easy to clear the room and if there’s good shelf space the things that were built during the day can be displayed in a fun way as art. I’m always on the look out for boxes and other stuff and I usually buy white or clear, This way the boxes can be used anywhere round the house. When I find a box I really like I get a lot of the same, it looks so much neater than lot of different ones.

Another thing that really strikes me in your home is how beautifully you arrange displays. The collections look like pieces of carefully curated artwork. Even your craft supplies in your crafting area look gorgeous. Do you have any display/organizing tips to share with those of us who’s collections seem more like clutter than art?

Thank you! A good tip when displaying things is to group them tightly. This means to not spread them out on a large area but so that each item has “contact” with the next by being slightly infront or behind. Don’t be afraid of the empty space next to your group of items. The empty space makes the group more interesting! Another tip we use in dressing shop windows is to group things tightly in a triangular shape with a tall piece somewhat centered. Your eye is automaticly drawn from one point of the “triangle” to the next and the next again. This makes a group which is pleasing to the eye.

The same answer as the one regarding kids rooms applies here. Storage, storage, storage…What I do before I start organizing a space is to bring all the things that need to fit in the area out. I then weed! I’m not a horder so I don’t have a problem with getting rid of stuff. I throw things away or pass things on to friends and I don’t think I’ve ever missed anything I’ve gotten rid of. I think one usully accumulates too many things one never uses… After I’ve had a good clear out I measure the things I need to store, find nice boxes for them and try to find ways to store ongoing projects that for some reason have come to a halt. I again use boxes for this. A lot of ongoing projects are nice enough to display so I try to keep some space in the craft area (off the work top) where they can sit out in the open.

You and I have spoken a little before about how important working within a budget has been as you’ve decorated your home. What have been your greatest challenges regarding decorating on a budget and how did you overcome them?

We’ve lived in our house for 9 years now and everyhing has had to be done in baby steps. I’ve taken one room at a time as I’ve been able to afford it. It’s basically been an ongoing project for all of the nine years. But that’s ok, I think it’s part of what makes the house homey. It has evolved to what it’s now, it isn’t a store bought concept or an ever finished project. I’ve learned to make use of the things I have around me, I repaint, sew cushions out of inexpensive fabric, shop in thrift shops and flea markets. I like that the things cost next to nothing and that I can let go of them easily if I get tired of them. We do sometimes splurge on some nicer things to balance things up though…

What advice would you give to others who are decorating on a tight budget in regards to creating a beautiful, cohesively designed home?

Use simple unfussy materials as base. Plain white paint is probably the cheapest and best way to unify a space. If you prefer color make the rooms flow into each other by painting them in the same or similar color through out. I would splurge a little on a nice floor, a small space usually looks bigger and more streamlined if the floor is the same throughout. When you have the basics of the floor and walls done you can add your style to it. IKEA is a great source for inexpensive basics but I think you need to mix them with things that have more personality like flea market finds or inherited piece. I love to use my son’s projects as art. Nicely displayed they look like million dollars!

************

Visit the Chez Larsson flickr account for even more photos of this gorgeous home… including recent photos from a recent commercial photoshoot! Benita also has an etsy shop with the cutest throw pillows ever, so be sure to stop by ChezLarsson.etsy.com and add her to your favorite stores. And don’t forget to add comments here so she’ll know how much we appreciate her taking the time to share with us!

In the Trenches: Featuring Aja, The Super Shopper!

I know I have said this EVERY Wednesday since this feature began, but seriously, I AM SO EXCITED about the designer that I’m featuring today, I could squeal! You see,Aja is the inspiration behind the “In the Trenches” feature.

It all started when I was browsing the flickr home decorating groups. I kept seeing these beautifully put together rooms by this one person. The kind of rooms that I would want to live in… rooms where you could curl up with your kids and read a book or have friends over to hang. I’d added so many of this person’s pictures to my favorites that I felt like a stalker. Then, just as I was clicking on the profile link, it hit me… I could interview Super Shopper for A Beautiful Abode! This was design that was meant to beshared… A few e-mails later… voila! The new feature was born.

Aja would have been the first feature, but technology (and old e-mail addresses) worked against us. Fortunately, we both persevered… and I am so extremely pleased to finally present you with the interview below:

I know that you are an amazing decorator, but not much else. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Aja and I am 28 year old design junkie. My husband and I moved to Newport News, VA from NJ about five years ago and we’ve been living in our first home for three years now. My husband could probably tell you better than I, that I loooove to shop, but not just shop, bargain shop. I get a natural high from buying something on sale or better yet “clearance”. I also have a fascination with change, I like to decorate a room and then see how little I can spend to change the look. My friends say I’m nuts, and sometimes I agree!

How would you describe your decorating style?

My overall decorating style is modern. The clean lines, repetition, symmetry, and unclutteredness (is that a word?) give me a sense of calm and order. I find it very hard to function in chaos. I also love beadboard, baskets, plantation shutters, shaker style furniture, and lots of other design elements that go along with country stylings, as long as the space still has a clean and unfussy feel.

How did your style evolve? Were you just born with a gift and knack for designing a beautiful living space or did you learn through trial and error?

I think I’ve always had a good design sense; even as a child I would give “mental makeovers” to any space that I saw as unappealing. As I got older I began to do a little more experimenting with decorating. When I moved into my first apartment my creative juices really started flowing because I now had a canvas to bring my ideas to life. Budget has was always a been big concern, so I’ve always had to make do with what I had or could afford, but I would never let budget stop me. I learned that when you had less money you just had to be more creative.

Do you plan your room designs? If so, can you describe the planning process for us? And if not, can you explain how you make sure that your finds create a cohesive design?

I always plan my rooms before I take any action, that way I know what to keep an eye out for when I’m shopping. My ideas are usually inspired by something that will get my design wheels turning, and it can come from anywhere, a piece of art, a pillow, a plate, a magazine tear out, anything really, but almost always it is the color or combination of colors that get me going. I find it so much easier to decorate when I have something to refer back to in order to stay on track. After I’ve figured out the look I want, I began my research. This usually consist of online window shopping. If I find something I like or that inspires me I copy and paste the pic to a MS Word doc. I am usually able to find a picture of just about anything online and if I can’t, I’ll scan the object, then add it to my Word doc. When I have all my ideas together I print out the sheet(s) and carry those around with me when I shop. I find this is a lot easier that carrying around clippings, paint chips, and fabric swatches.

When shopping I try to stick with furniture and accessories that are versatile and easy to change, such as slipcovered upholstery, poster frames instead of actual artwork, throw pillows with removeable covers, and accesories that can be used in multiple rooms. This allows me the flexibility to change things up each season with minimal investment. Knowing what I like keeps my style and decor cohesive, I make sure my purchases can be used in at least two different spaces/rooms before I buy it.

Which room(s) in your home do you like best and why?

That depends on the time of year. During fall and winter I love my bedroom, it’s small very cozy. It gets very little sunlight this time of year and that makes it great for snoozing, cuddling in the bed to watch a movie, and reading.

During spring and summer the sun porch rocks! I like to do my eating, reading, crafting, internet surfing, and afternoon napping out there. The sunshine is amazing and the AC is on remote control.

Did you have a/any challenging areas and if so, why were they challenging and how did you overcome their challenges?

The master bedroom had to be the biggest challenge design wise. Our previous bedroom was almost twice as large as our current bedroom, so we had to figure out a way to make it just as functional but with a lot less space and storage. Other than the two small his and hers closets, the room lacked sufficient storage for our clothing. I solved this problem by flanking the bed with dressers rather than nightstands. This allowed us extra room for our folded clothing. I also had to forego the vanity that I had previously used for applying my make up and styling my hair, due to lack of space. I addressed this by adding a folding barstool that I could store on the side of the dresser. The barstool serves double duty by holding our extra pillows and bedding at night. Upgrading to a flat panel tv made it possible to use a narrower tv stand and gain storage for books, magazines and bedding, all behind closed doors.

Overall, most of our design, storage, and organization needs were met in the new space and we are happy with the outcome!

What is the most important (or best) piece of advice you can offer to readers who are in the process of creating their own budget friendly, beautiful abode?

I think the best thing you can do before embarking on a design project is:

1. Get in touch with yourself.

You need to define your style and find out what “you like”. I recommend going thru design magazines and books, blogs, window shopping at your favorite stores and discovering new ones. Creating an inspiration board has always helped me. I think seeing all your likes and ideas in one place can help identify what works and what doesn’t.

2. Commit.

Decorating on a budget could mean more of an investment of your time and it is easy to become discouraged when you can’t find the perfect shade of red for your throw pillow and stay within your budget. You will have to do a lot more hunting or waiting (for an item to go on sale or clearance).

3. Use your resources.

If you do a lot of shopping in person don’t forget to check out the store’s website. Quite often you can find the same item on the website cheaper or vice versa. It’s also a good idea to know your