Meet me in Austin! Time is running out to sign up for Design Camp! (And a great Austin bungalow)

I am counting the days until Oct. 24th, when I will be attending the kickoff to Design Camp in the very cool Austin, TX.

 What is Design Camp you may ask?

 Design Camp is a two-day seminar hosted by Celebrity Interior Designers Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis, with special guests segments led by local and national industry experts in niche fields. The course is tailored for design professionals and design aficionados. Each day runs from 9AM-6PM and is broken down into 8 segments per day.

Drinks, Snacks, Lunch, and Cocktail parties included. By the end of Camp, attendees will have the confidence and ability to run successful modern-day design careers, execute magazine ready interior projects, take careers to an entirely new level, network and collaborate with local suppliers and colleagues.

 Design Camp is your destination for practical, applicable, real-life design insight you don’t get from traditional institutions. In two fun-filled days you will discover more at Design Camp, while saving time and money.

 I AM SO EXCITED!

Check out the agenda...

KICK OFF COCKTAIL PARTY

Wednesday

6pm – 8pm

Meet and Greet Cocktail Mixer

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Day One: Design Today

Thursday

8:00 – 8:45	Registration
9:00 – 9:45	Interior Design: Past and Present
10:00 – 10:45	Inspiration Boards
11:00 – 11:45	Upholstery
12:00 – 12:45	Finishes and Trends
1:00 – 2:00	Complimentary Lunch
2:00 – 2:45	Kitchen Design
3:00 – 3:45	Bath Design
4:00 – 4:45	Green Interior Design
5:00 – 5:45	Staging – Stage your Career ---> very excited for this segment
6:00 – 8:00	Networking Cocktail Party --> and this ;)

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Day Two: Design Business

Friday

8:00 – 8:45	Contracts – Successful Strategies for negotiations with contractors, vendors and clients.
9:00 – 9:45	Blueprint for Success: What your Contractor needs you to know!
10:00 – 10:45	Design Blogging – What you need to know!
11:00 – 11:45	Getting a Project and a Book Published (and Sold!) --> another one I'm looking forward to...
12:00 – 1:00	Complimentary Lunch
1:00 – 1:45	Marketing and Branding
2:00 – 2:45	Social Media --> Iooking forward to learning some new tips on this one!
3:00 – 3:45	How to become a Design Star, Spokesperson and Television Personality
4:00 – 4:45	Awards and Closing

I see Design Camp as the second chance to get the interior design education I never got - and in 2 days! October 24th is fast approaching, and I would really like to meet you there! Visit the Design Camp site to learn more and register!

 Austin also has some great shops should you be in need of a little retail therapy. I am particularly looking forward to visiting Howl.  Howl is an amazing antique store with a mix of items from all over the world, curiosities, and glam.

Here are some photos from a cool, eclectic Austin bungalow:

 the gray walls make this sunroom soo serene!

 Love the big armchairs on each end of the table...

the lights are fab too...

images via Apartment Therapy

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A house that combines the eclectic and glamorous

While I really like the eclectic style of decorating, but sometimes it looks a bit too "dusty" for my taste. I also really like the shiny newness of glamorous interiors. This home, by the fabulous Angie Hranowsky manages to marry these two seemingly contrasted styles.

 *swoon!  That dresser - that rug! Love them paired together

I wouldn't ever think to combine the mauve in the blinds with the lavender wall.

Love the wicker-ish bed contrasted with the mirrored nightstand.

Do you like Angie's work?

You can see more at her website.

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House Tour: Rustic chic in muted tones

Happy Friday Everyone!  I thought you'd enjoy this gorgeous home, which is not only decorated in a modest, but still elegant way, but also has some great architectural bones.

Enjoy!

Not to pick on Lonny Magazine, but is anyone else just a little bit tired of seeing every photo so over-exposed?

Homeowner Estee gives a great design tip:  "I prefer to consider everything in terms of color, texture, and pattern, rather than in terms of period or origin.  If you concentrate on the color of a piece, rather than whether it's Venetian or bohemian, it's much easier to blend different styles into a single room"

Love the white on the walls and headboard with the gray wash of the wood dresser

This is such a sweet room for a little girl, and it will grow with her with just a few simple changes

Nurseries normally don't turn my head, but this one is so serene and calm.

via Lonny Mag

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My curtains revealed and an introduction to The Loaded Trunk!

My curtains are finally finished! Some of you might remember this post awhile back when I asked for suggestions for curtain colors after we moved into our new apartment in Chevy Chase, MD.

Before:

After:

The curtains the apartment came with were drab and heavy. Our couch had to stay, and is an olive-colored suede, that depending on the light and colors around it can look gray, brown, or green. The rug is a new purchase that I love, and wanted to make it work. Our walls, though hard to tell in the picture above, are a light aqua blue.

I tried photoshopping some different color options in this post, but all of them left me a bit underwhelmed. You guys offered up some amazing suggestions for DIY's, specific fabrics, and other resources. The amazing Christine of Design with Christine came up with an amazing edesign for me, utilizing some Ikat curtains, and some throw pillows to tie the rug in with the couch. You can see the amazing job she did in her post.

The curtains Christine chose.

My photoshopping the curtains and pillows Christine found. Christine’s genius really got the ball rolling for me to find a pattern to balance out the visual weight of the bottom half of the room with the visual weight of the top. So, since I wanted to sew my own curtains, I began the search for the perfect (afforadable) fabric.

via 6th Street Design School

I really liked the fabric above, which a reader suggested to me . Even though it was above our price range, I ordered a swatch. The medallions were a bit too large for my liking, and the background was more of a beige than a white, so we decided against this one. I also ordered a few more swatches, but I wasn’t sold on any of them. Then, I noticed the curtains below on Danielle Oakey's blog, and went on an internet scavenger hunt to find the fabric.

Long story short, I finally located enough to sew my curtains (9 yards) from Red Rhino on ebay. They were actually the only seller I found with the fabric available. Red Rhino gave me a great price, amazing response times, and I couldn’t have been happier with the fabric. The match was very accurate to what was on screen.

via Danielle Oakey Interiors

So, after hours and hours of measuring, ironing, starching, sewing, and ironing and starching again, we finally had our curtains. I also added a black tape on the right and left vertical borders of the outermost curtains to mimick the black border on the rug. We are really happy with the results. I'm also in the process of testing out some swatches to sew throw pillow covers.

Another view of the room with the ikat curtains

A close up of the curtain and the black border

I'm testing out a suzani style swatch, as you can see from the bottom pillow.

Isn't this red pillow AMAZING!?!?

I couldn’t be more thrilled with the pillow, which  I received from The LoadedTrunk!

There couldn’t be a better cohesive element between my couch and my rug! What’s even cooler is the history of the pillow, called a Hmong pillow:

“This beautiful vintage textile was once part of a garment worn by Hmong women in Vietnam. The Hmong, an Asian ethnic group living in the mountainous regions of Vietnam and Laos, are known for their traditional textiles which feature cross-stitching and often indigo block printing. They have been given a second life and were re-cycled to make these lovely pillows.”

 

They offer a handful of one-of-a-kind Hmong pillows.  This one in purple is gorgeous

I love that mine is one of-a-kind. They have other hmong pillows, and lots of other global goods. I could make a really long wishlist of items from this store, but here are just a few:

These bronze hammered bowls would look glamorous and beautifully organic anywhere.

The color in this Mexican coverlet is so rich.

Thanks again to The Loaded Trunk! You can see all their treasures on the online shop.

SO..how do you think our living room is coming along so far? 

We still have some art to hang,  maybe a floor lamp for the corner behind the palm, and the rest of the throw pillows for the couch (I want a pillow that will tie in the colors from the curtains)

And how about that pillow from the Loaded Trunk?

I can't wait to hear what you guys think!

*disclosure: I received the Hmong pillow as a sample

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Glamorous and eclectic -homes with the best of both worlds

Mixing glamorous and eclectic is not an easy pair to resolve, but I'd say these spaces were beyond successful...

Bold jewel toned walls and furniture take the earthy elements in the room, like the raw wood shelf, up a notch on the glamor scale....

Here, the mod lines of the credenza look good with the Asian pedestal table and birdcage because objects are kept orderly and the space around the furnishings otherwise sparse.

Lining the back of a bookcase with a modern take on an ancient pattern creates an interesting focal point.

I adore this room. The walls are kept quiet, and the bold graphic rug takes the stage.

Can you believe that the black chest of drawers were originally from Ikea, but dressed up to look like a one-of-a-kind piece?

via House of Fifty

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Home Office Furniture – A worthwhile investment

A doubled edged sword, working from home has both advantages and disadvantages; some people are able to manage it, whilst others find it difficult to get into a work mentality what with all the distractions and temptations that come with having all the home comforts just a door away. Of course, for some people there may not be a choice due to disability or family obligation and working from home is the only option.

If do you happen to be working from home the furniture that you have in there is going to have an effect on many aspects of your productivity, morale and attitude. By having functional, attractive and good quality furniture you can make sure that your work output is not affected by disorganisation or by being uncomfortable.

I personally like my home office furniture in white. It keeps the space looking clean and bright.

One of the most important things to consider with your home office furniture is comfort and back support, especially if you are sitting in front of a computer for prolonged periods of time; a low quality chair will do nothing but leave you with back pain, and over time may affect your overall posture. Investing in an ergonomic and quality chair when putting together a home workspace should be a top priority.

I think open "cubby" shelving such as this are great for storing office files, binders, and magazines in an easily accessible way. I plan on getting a similar piece in white and placing it horizontally, so it acts as a table surface, and storage. 

The second most important thing to keep in the back of your mind is how you can augment and improve your productivity levels; your computer desks and workstations should not be there just to prop up your computer and your files, it is the centrepiece of your work and needs to allow you to reach all of your important tools, peripherals and documents within easy and convenient reach. Having to scoot around in your office on a chair can get tiresome and often lead to breaking concentration and affecting those all-important productivity levels. A cleverly designed desk can go a long way, giving you the nooks and crannies in which to store the things you need.

This desk is great if you don't have a separate room for your home office, because at the end of the day you can close the cabinets and drawers and be left with a pretty piece of furniture, without having to look at your office tools.

Comfort and productivity aside, aesthetics are the final element in this holy trifecta; having attractive office furniture can have a positive psychological effect and can go a long way into improving the quality of your work. Attractive, modern furniture can really give a room a professional atmosphere. Additionally, ensure that there is a window in your home office; natural light can have a wonderful effect on how you work, and also gives you something to glance at, other than a computer screen which can alleviate eyestrain.

Below are a few more examples of the impact that furniture can have on your home office:

A pretty file cabinet in white wood is much more inspiring than a traditional metal one.
 2 above via Ballard

 A mix of different style furnishings keep the space functional but also personal.
via High Gloss

via Lifework

Different people have different needs to be at their most efficient.  Even if you're a minimalist - lighting and a desk with enough space for your materials is a must.


*disclosure: This post is sponsored by Wooden Furniture Store.co.uk

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