Month: May 2012

Creative Vision Board: Bold Modern Office

Written by Jenna on May 30, 2012. Posted in Creative Vision Boards. 5 Comments on Creative Vision Board: Bold Modern Office

Happy Wednesday! Thanks for stopping by to check out my latest Creative Vision Board. This new series that I started 3 weeks ago, has been a lot of fun to get my creative juices flowing and keeps me “in-the know” & “up-to-date” on new furniture, accessories, and decor that’s available across the web. Did you know that all the furniture and accessories that I showcase on my Creative Vision Boards are available for anyone to purchase (meaning they’re not to-the-trade only)? These CVB’s are also a teeny glimpse at what I create for my E-Design clients.

Enough of the chatter, let’s take a look at my latest creation of a Bold & Modern Office…

For this week’s Creative Vision Board, I started with the Club Chair in a turquoise colored leather – scrumptious, right?! In the office, I envision two of these divinely comfortable club chairs off to the side with a black marble-top and silver legged, scalloped side table in between. What a great place to read a book or review paperwork (or blog, hehe).

Now that you know the starting point for this space, let’s break it down like usual, with my three key factors to create a room – color, texture, and style.

Color

Last week’s CVB was quiet and serene, but since this is a modern office space, it was a must to introduce COLOR! Starting with the walls, I would use a modern and bold geometric wallpaper on the focal wall behind the white, mirrored credenza. The remaining walls would be covered with wide horizontal stripes in quieter hues of cream and taupe/gray.

The crisp white desk would pop off of the faux cow hide rug which is layered over a dark wood floor and a classic herringbone natural-colored rug. Layers, Layers, Layers!

Other exciting colors in this office would be burnt orange and pistachio, as seen in the ottoman, fabrics, and accessories.

Texture

If you work from home or spend a significant amount of time in your office, it’s important to introduce engaging elements. One way to do this is through texture. This office has alot of textural qualities. From the smooth subtle leather club chair to the faux cow hide rug to the chevron patterned cashmere rug, this office space is filled with texture and pieces you would want to touch all day!

Style

So much style in one space, I wish I could snap my fingers and instantly work in this office! Don’t you? From classic to modern, this office has a good balance of old and new elements. One of my favorite pieces in the room is the large, crisp white desk. The purpose of a traditional desk is there, yet with a modern twist. It is more open and airy than typical and has a beautiful X-leg.

My Advice to Design a Room Like This

Have fun and be daring when designing an office space. Create a space that is inspiring, engaging, and gets the creative process moving. This is a room in the house that doesn’t need to be 100% cohesive with the rest. Yes, bringing in elements from the rest of the house is nice, but you can truly make it a statement on it’s own.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my latest Creative Vision Board. Has it inspired you to revamp your office? Have you created an office space that you love being in?

* Creative Vision Board Disclaimer: Some CVBs are created for specific clients and others are created by me to inspire you. Either way, specific resources are not provided because these are the types of creations that clients pay me for and if I gave the information away for free, no one would hire me. BUT if you’re interested in specific pieces seen on my Creative Vision Boards or want to create the exact look in your space, you can gladly pay a nominal fee for the resources. Nothing on my Creative Vision Boards are to-the-trade only and everything can be found on the internet. Also, if you have a question about a specific resource then my One-Question Consult would be perfect for you and/or if you’re looking for a new, custom created CVB, then you might want to take a look at my Jump Start Design option. If you have a question about anything, email me!

Create Your Own Succulent Arrangement

Written by Jenna on May 25, 2012. Posted in DIY. 10 Comments on Create Your Own Succulent Arrangement

I’m a sucker for succulents, but have always been hesitant to get them because I don’t have a green thumb and most arrangements are pretty pricey (keep on reading and you’ll see)!

Recently, on my quest to bring the outdoors in, I finally got the courage and set out on search for a pretty succulent arrangement, and couldn’t believe how much they cost. Similar to terrarium arrangements, most are $30+ and that’s certainly not in my budget, especially since I haven’t had success in the past with keeping plants living for long.

If you remember back not too long ago, my gal blogger pal, Brittany of Pretty Handy Girl, shared a tutorial on how to make your own terrarium and save big bucks, and now I’ll show you How-To Make Your Own Succulent Arrangement for less than $15.

Let’s get started…

Thanks to my FB community for pointing me in the right direction, I purchased my succulents at Lowe’s (I didn’t even realize that they carried succulents). I looked for succulents that paired well together giving some variation in height and color. I also got one larger succulent to “anchor” the arrangement.

For the box, I used a wood planter that the Mister actually made a few weeks ago using pallet planks. If anyone’s interested, I’ll share a tutorial on that soon – let me know.

Knowing the size of the box, I chose four different succulent plants and placed them in the box to see how best they should be arranged before adding the soil.

Once I figured out the best layout, I removed the succulents from the box and lined the box with a plastic garbage bag. If you are making a similar arrangement, lining the planter isn’t a must, but since this pallet box is made of wood and wasn’t perfect at the corners, I felt it best to line the interior so water and soil wouldn’t seep out the corners.

I left about 2″ of exposed wood at the top, so once the soil was added it would thoroughly cover the liner. I wanted to see my pretty flowers, not the liner 🙂

I then added the soil leaving about 1″ of exposed wood at the top.

Next came the beautiful succulents, which I recommend starting with the largest one first. Like with all plants, I was sure to gently separate the roots before planting.

The arrangement looked alittle messy once it was complete… but just wait!

It was time to add the small rocks which are almost always seen in those pricey succulent arrangements. I picked these up for about $3 and only used half the bag.

I carefully placed a thin layer on top of the soil so only the succulents would show through.

Once the rocks were put in place, the succulent arrange was complete…

…And sits beautifully on my front porch.

Want to learn more on caring for a succulent? Check out this awesome article on growing healthy succulents. I learned quite a few good tips to keep my new succulent arrangement strong and healthy!

Let’s break it down to see how much I saved…

(4) succulent plants were: $2.98 each

(1) Bag of rocks that I used half of: $3.00 /2 (for half) = $1.50

Wood Planter Box: Free – made from an old pallet

So the grand total to create this beautiful Succulent Arrangement was around $13. Not bad, right?!

Check out this arrangement that I just found online for $68. I like mine way better! What do you think? Make it or Buy it??

Succulent arrangements are fun to make any time of year, but since they truly love the sun, Spring and Summer is a great time of year to create one of your own.

Do you have succulents in your home? Have you ever made your own succulent arrangement? Would you rather make (and save) or buy?

Creative Vision Board: Serene and Sophisticated Bedroom

Written by Jenna on May 23, 2012. Posted in Creative Vision Boards, Decorating. 2 Comments on Creative Vision Board: Serene and Sophisticated Bedroom

I’ve been super psyched for Wednesday to arrive so I could share my newest, latest, and greatest Creative Vision Board. After last week’s Red Hot Eclectic Living Room board started off the series, I was hard at work conceptualizing and creating my latest “room”.

If you’re new to this Wednesday ritual, every hump day (a.k.a. Wednesday) I will create and share a new Creative Vision Board for a room in the home, then I’ll break-it-down explaining how I created the board and how you can create something similar for your space.

Drumroll please for this week’s, Serene & Sophisticated Bedroom Creative Vision Board…

For this week’s CVB, I started with the chevron side table lamps (which in reality would be placed in front of the lamps on the nightstand). Lighting often ‘makes’ a room, and just like last week, it was where I started when pulling this space together. Because of the mere WOW-factor that these chevron beauties make, the other larger selections in the room took a backseat to compliment this dominant fixture.

Let’s jump in and break down the room even further using my three key factors to make a room: color, texture, and style.

Color

For me, a bedroom should be calming and serene, creating a heavenly oasis to retreat to after a long, exhausting day. Believe me, I love color, but keep the vibrant hues for the other spaces in the home. With the deep navy and white on the lamp, I decided to introduce other blue tones into the space which can be seen in the rug and pillows.

Additionally to add a pop of color, I introduced the accent color of lime green – just a little goes a long way – that can be seen in the pillows and the garden stool, which would be perfect as a side table next to the chair.

Soft tones for the bedding, window treatments, wallpaper, and wall color are a perfect backdrop for this bedroom.

Texture

Tactile surfaces are a must for me when designing a space. Whether a soft rug, grasscloth wall, or a high-polished lamp, texture in a room gives great depth and dimension! A room could be all one color (bo-ring), but when different textures are introduced, it becomes completely engaging. In this ‘room’, texture can be seen in the bamboo shades, the linen draperies, and the soft leather stool. Even the chandelier has a textural quality. Ooo, so much to touch!

Style

From classic to modern, this room is filled with elements of various styles, yet still reads as one cohesive space. One of my favorite elements in the room is the minimal, slightly-retro style chair with the orange and white floral fabric. What a divine chair for reading!

My Advice to Design a Room Like This

Start with the larger pieces in the room – the bed, chair, chandelier – and then introduce soft finishes and accessories that enhance the overall look and compliment the larger elements. Think about the feelings that you want your bedroom to evoke and introduce colors that will project that aesthetic.

Thanks for checking out my latest Creative Vision Board – what do you think? Would you love a bedroom like this? If you have questions regarding any of the specific pieces shown in my Creative Vision Board, you can gladly contact me and we can work together through my E-Design service. Until next week… Happy Decorating!

Staircase Makeover: A New DIY Venture Begins

Written by Jenna on May 21, 2012. Posted in DIY, Stair Makeover. 25 Comments on Staircase Makeover: A New DIY Venture Begins

One evening late last week, the Mister and I found ourselves without something on our to-do list, so we finally embarked on the staircase project that I posted about 2 weeks ago. It took longer than expected to start this project, but I needed my man’s muscles and braun to assist on the beginning stages.

If you remember back, the removing of the carpet was one of my DIY project goals for 2012 and I’m excited that its finally begun. I initially wanted to remove/replace all the carpet on the second floor (yet it’s not within the budget), but removing the carpet on the stairs is going to be a big improvement since that gets the most traffic. Even though I’ve never been happy with the carpet, it was in place more for safety than aesthetics – now it’s time to say ba-bye!

We’re lucky to have real wood on the stairs instead of plywood, but there are still alot of details to giving these stairs an entire new look, so I’m going to break the process into a few posts. Plus they’re not nearly done and I couldn’t wait to share the “happenings” with you till the end.

Take a look…

Project Details

Duration of Phase One: 1.5 hours
Phase 1 Difficulty: Medium
How Many People Needed: 1

The first phase includes steps to remove the carpet, remove the carpet tack strips, and how to transition the wood steps to the 2nd floor carpet. But before we begin, here are the supplies that I used.

Hammer
Cats Paw
Needle Nose Pliers
Flat Head Screwdriver
Muscles 🙂

For this stair makeover, we started by removing the carpet. Every two steps, we used an X-acto blade and cut the carpet where the tread and riser meet. This made the process more manageable with smaller pieces of carpet instead of one large piece.

As we went along and took the carpet off of every two stairs, we removed the carpet tack strips with a hammer and cats paw. A cats paw is a great tool that we use for alot of projects. For the stairs it worked well to get under the tack strips, yet didn’t damage the wood on the stair tread. I highly recommend it 🙂

Watch your toes on those tack strips – they’re sharp!

Once the carpet was removed from the entire stair case, it was time to remove the staples from the carpet pad… and boy, there were alot of them! For this step, it’s best to use a needle nose plier and/or a flat head screw driver.

The last step for this first phase was to cleanly transition the existing carpet and the newly exposed wood stair at the second floor landing. Using an X-acto knife, we trimmed the carpet so there would be enough to wrap around the top step.

It didn’t need to be perfectly cut, but it was important that there was enough carpet to wrap it around the top stair nosing.

The carpet pad also needed to be trimmed. Using a scissor, we trimmed the pad to be at the same edge as the stair nosing. Trimming it at this point instead of wrapping it around the nosing (like the carpet) made it easier to staple the carpet under the nosing.

Lastly, using a staple gun we stapled the carpet under the top nosing. It’s important to use longer length staples so each goes securely through the carpet and into the wood.

The result is a clean transition from wood to carpet…

There is still much more to do to get these stairs to completion, but we’re on our way. Many of you have asked what we plan on doing on the stairs (thank you for taking interest) – stain, paint, stair runner… so many options.

After lots of thought, I plan on staining the treads a dark walnut finish, painting the risers and balusters a crisp white, and painting the banister and newel post a taupe color (same as my kitchen – BM berkshire beige). Wouldn’t that be amazing?!

1. source unknown 2. Centsational Girl 3. Benjamin Moore Berkshire Beige 4. Walnut stain

Again, here’s a peak at the changes from phase one.

10 Reasons to Hire an Interior Designer

Written by Jenna on May 9, 2012. Posted in Decorating. 16 Comments on 10 Reasons to Hire an Interior Designer

It’s been a little crazy around here lately and one of the reasons is because I just wrapped up three design jobs this week. It’s always so gratifying when a project is complete and the vision that I originally had for a space comes to fruition. As I finished up the final details of these latest projects, each client said (in a different way, of course) how I made them think outside the box and how the space wouldn’t be what it is without my assistance. That surely brought a smile to my face 🙂

Many think, that an Interior Designer is only for the stars or the uber-wealthy. So not true! For many years I worked in the high-end design field, but honestly, I’d much rather assist the everyday person with making their vision a reality. That being said, I am so thankful for what I learned when practicing high-end design because I now know how to get that pricey look at a fraction of the cost!

As these projects are wrapping up and it’s fresh on my mind, I thought I would share a few reasons why hiring an Interior Designer is a must for anyone, with any budget!

WHY HIRE A DESIGNER!

1. Designers can save you money. When making interior selections and decisions for one room or your entire home, it can be overwhelming and it’s possible that you’ll make purchases or choices on items that are either not worth the cost or won’t “live” for long. With a Designers (like me) assistance, direction, and know-how, they can steer you in the right direction so the entire space can come together as a whole. Let me ask you this – How many times have you purchased 2,3, or 4 different gallons of paint to repaint a room and you still weren’t satisfied? Maybe once or twice?? Be honest… With a Designers perspective, big bucks can be saved, along with the countless wasted hours. That leads me to my next reason on why to hire a Designer…

2. Designers can save you time. Think about all the time (and gas) wasted by buying items, not being happy with them once at home, and then returning them. Has that happened to you once or twice? When I work with clients, many never step foot into a store or showroom (unless they want to), because I bring samples, images, and pieces to their home. Not bad, right?! I’m sure the last place you want to be on a beautiful Saturday afternoon is a furniture store with 3 crying kids. I won’t even get to the point on how much time a Designer can save you with all those gallons of wrong paint.

3. Designers think outside the box and give a fresh perspective. The mind of a Designer is simply made up differently. We can see things that others may not and we think outside the box to provide fresh ideas and a unique perspective for a space.

4. Designers create and work within a budget. (most of the time) A good and experienced Designer will work within your budgetary means (and/or tell you up front if your scope is/isn’t possible within your budget) and make a plan before anything is purchased.

5. Designers listen. When working with a Designer, the designs are exclusively for you and your project. I listen to my clients needs and wants to direct / assist them so the result is a space that reflects their personality and style.

6. Designers push you. Not literally (well, some may, hehe) of course. Designers are trained to know scale, proportion, color, size, texture, etc. so that a space is unique and personal, and not directly taken out of a catalog. I like to introduce elements into a space that my clients wouldn’t have chosen without me. Sometimes pushing the limits truly makes for an amazing result.

7. Space Planning. Determining the best furniture layout for a space is critical in how the room functions and how it reads aesthetically. When I meet with a client, we discuss the pieces that they want to repurpose or eliminate, and what needs to be added. Planning the space is HUGE (and my favorite part)!

8. Project Management. Whether a homeowner desires a few new accessories or an entire kitchen renovation, alot of time and effort is needed for project management and coordination.

9. Designers have passion. I live and breathe design. From my blog to my business, design is what I know and what I do, day in and day out. It’s not just my job, but a hobby and career that I’m truly passionate about, which is reflected in every one of my creations.

10. We have contacts. Designers have access to trade only resources that are not often available in retail stores and are often deeply discounted from retail costs. Additionally, being in the design / building field, Designers often have formed relationships with kitchen consultants, millworkers, plumbers, electricians, etc. We can get the right people for the job!

I hope you learned a little something, especially that working with a Designer is attainable for anyone with any space and any budget! If you are in the market for a Designer or if reading this post peeked your need to finish up the space you’ve been working on for the last year, you can gladly take a look at the Design Services that I offer by clicking here. I also offer E-Decorating services and can gladly assist you with a project if you live in the US.

Have you ever worked with an Interior Designer? Have you ever thought of working with a Designer but didn’t think it was possible? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Spring Front Porch {Reveal}

Written by Jenna on May 7, 2012. Posted in DIY. 22 Comments on Spring Front Porch {Reveal}

Confession…

I didn’t even have 5 minutes to start my staircase carpet removal this past weekend – Huge Bummer, I know! I’m sure some of you are disappointed {I am} after my exciting Another DIY Project is Born post from Friday, buuuuut I have to say the weekend was not filled with R & R. Instead of embarking on my latest DIY idea (removing the ugly, old, worn carpet on the stairs), we continued our efforts on the exterior instead.

Take a look…

Pretty snazzy, right? Boy, did it take A-L-O-T of effort and my butt is still aching, but it was definitely worth it. AND there is still a few weekends ahead of us before it’s complete (if ever). Let me show you around…

Last week I mentioned that the Mister and I enlarged the exterior columns and I finally took pictures, so here they are! I’ve got a ‘thing’ for beefy columns and the 3″ wide style we had before always bothered me. Now… the larger style columns, which are about 8″ wide, make the house appear more grounded and the overall scale actually feels larger – to me anyway.

So what do you think?

Want to see how it looked before? These are a few pictures from the time when we moved in two years ago up until last year when we started the transformation process.

Even looking at these pictures myself, I’m surprised at how much work we’ve done over the last two years. With lots of Tender Loving Care, our outdoor front space has truly changed. Last year we started with a few plantings and they’re really growing – I’m kinda shocked since I have no green thumb.

I have to show you my favorite plant in the garden (thus far), which is the bleeding heart.

And the new hanging baskets.

All the plantings in the front beds are perennials and started off much smaller last year and have continually been growing. So far this year, I got two new hanging baskets with annual flowers, as well as two boxwoods that I planted in large black pots that flank the garage. From my understanding (which I was told by our local gardening center), the boxwoods will continue to grow and should last up to 10 years – we shall see.

Aside from the flowers, I’ve added bursts of color with accessories and pillows throughout the porch area. Even though it’s not an overly large porch, it’s quaint and a great place to sit, relax, and read a book.

The burnt orange bird feeder is another colorful addition to the front porch. I wasn’t sure how it would look, but I’m loving how it brightens up the porch and hopefully birds will come for some good food.

And to give you an update on the side yard, the tree stumps are out and I seeded the 3000 sq.ft. area – O, do I hope that grass grows!

But, I can say, I got this pond up and running too this weekend – another FINALLY! It’s been here since we moved in, but hasn’t worked. Until now.

Thanks so much for visiting and allowing me to share my progressing front porch and plantings with you. There’s lots more to come! Have you started planting flowers yet this Spring?

The Beginning of a New DIY Project: Staircase

Written by Jenna on May 4, 2012. Posted in DIY, Stair Makeover. 14 Comments on The Beginning of a New DIY Project: Staircase

Ever wonder how I come up with the DIY projects around my home?

I’ll be honest, I don’t often sit n’ stew over things I want to do, but instead when a thought comes into my head, I ACT… quickly. Time doesn’t pass long without me getting my feet wet (meant figuratively, not literally – most of the time).

Just moments ago (literally this time), a new idea popped in my head and before you know it, I was hard at work.

If you recall a few months ago, one of my goals for 2012 was to recarpet the stair and second floor bedrooms. Well unfortunately with all the work and $$$ we’ve been spending outdoors, it’s just not possible at the moment. The worst part of the carpet is on the stairs due to all the foot traffic day in, and day out. So just a few moments ago, I decided to rip off the carpet from the bottom stair to see what was there.

I moved forward slowly just in case there was more work to be done than we could currently manage, but this was what I found…

Holy Cannoli… the stair underneath is in great condition! Thank goodness. I quickly called my husband at work and told him the good news. I wasn’t quite sure of what his reaction would be (“Jenna, not another DIY project” OR “wow, that’s great”). Thankfully it was the latter and he was super psyched as well. He even said we could start it this weekend – YIPPY! The carpet wasn’t hard to lift, but the nails and carpet tacks will be, so I’ll need his muscles for this DIY project!

So I’m off and have my weekend plans cut out for me…

And that’s how a new DIY project is born! Have a great weekend – What are your plans?