just putting some shiny ornaments in a glass bowl on your table adds a lot of color & fun, without being too elaborate.

it’s also easy & inexpensive when you can use what you already have, and incorporate nature.

i just took a glass hurricane i already had, and added some twigs & berries from some bushes outside. quick, easy, and festive!

i LOVE the idea of hanging a wreath over a mirror in your house. i think it’s a unique place for a wreath, and gives a cool background that the wreath stands out against.

(images via pottery barn and good housekeeping)

i got a really late start decorating for christmas this year, because for some reason it just didn’t feel like christmas to me yet!! but i am working on a “christmas decoration project” that has some potential, so if it turns out i will post about it soon! happy decorating!!!

we were getting ready to eat thanksgiving dinner at my husband’s aunt’s house last week, when i noticed the neatest addition to her newly remodeled kitchen. instead of having an annoying switch on the wall for the garbage disposal that is inconvenient and hard to access when you are in the middle of washing dishes, she has this little button on her counter, right by the sink. what a great idea! it was so convenient and easy to use. technically they are called, “air switches,” and from what i can tell, they seem pretty easy to install. do any of you have one? what are your thoughts on them? me and my husband were sold and added it to our wish list for when we buy a house one day.

images pottery barn and martha stewart

enjoy your thanksgiving! we have so much to be thankful for!

this outdoor kitchen in california encourages relaxation

cooking at this stove with the natural feel from the stone would be so inspirational!

this is pure genius! i can't even imagine how much time and messes this would save!

i would love to sit at this counter while cooking, talking, hanging out, etc. a great use of space!

all images via house beautiful.

here is a mirror that looks like a window. the Grand Palais Mirror from Ballard Designs is a 24×48″ rectangle that can be paired with another to create a square “window” or topped with an arched version to create a Palladian “window”. Each mirror is $189.

designed by storm interiors, via desire to inspire.

i love these round wood mirrors by bobo intriguing objects!

see how this mirror makes the dining room light up? and it beautifully reflects the chandelier & the windows across from it. image via traditional home.

]]> http://www.charminginnovations.com/2009/11/12/through-the-looking-glass/feed/ 2 http://www.charminginnovations.com/2009/10/30/twinkle-twinkle-no-more-stars/ http://www.charminginnovations.com/2009/10/30/twinkle-twinkle-no-more-stars/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:01:08 +0000 katie http://www.charminginnovations.com/?p=718 so i’ve been talking for a while now about a project i’ve been working on and i’m finally ready to unveil it!!! i had the fun opportunity to re-do my husband’s childhood bedroom at his parents house. it had glow-in-the-dark plastic stars all over the walls, and things from all the many different stages of his life. it was a small budget project so i did a lot of work on the room myself – for example painting furniture, making the headboard, reupholstering the chair, etc. this was a great way to save money and re-use items he already had but it took a lot of time. i have been really anticipating the opportunity to show you the finished result!

i changed the wall color from green to a light blue (white satin by benjamin moore) and replaced the cornice and blinds with shutters. i found the old window pane on the wall at an antique store for $7

i painted and distressed this laminate dresser and painted the mirror.

this headboard is made from a door i got at the habitat for humanity re-use center for $5. i added molding and then painted and distressed it.

the night stands on either side of the bed were pulled in from another room

to reflect on paul's trips throughout the world i incorporated a world traveling theme

special thanks to katherine of furnished photography for the pictures.

in college one of my best friends katherine always had her camera around her neck and was constantly snapping pictures. you could count on her to document any and every event, and she always caught the perfect “kodak” moments. it was so fun because i didn’t even have to worry about taking pictures, she would always supply me with discs with all the images i could ever want. i have always been so proud of her photography skills, and now i couldn’t be prouder that she has launched her own business, furnished photography. i am thrilled that she has agreed to take pictures of a few of the projects i am currently working on. she is extremely talented and she loves what she does, wich is the perfect combination.

Hello!  Allow me to introduce myself – I’m Lauren, an interior designer and a friend of Katie’s from college.  I’d love to share some tips with you on ways to save money while decorating your home!  In this economy, saving money is on all of our minds.  I hope these tips will help you to create a space for you and your family to enjoy!

Set a budget

This is probably the least fun part, but the most important!  To prevent overspending while decorating, you need to understand what you can spend on each item.  Begin by making a list of the items you need (sofa, pair of chairs, etc).  Then, estimate how much you can spend on each and add the amounts together for your overall budget. This total will dictate what items you can afford to buy new, and what may need to be reused or bought secondhand.  If the total you’d like to spend is more than what you have on hand, you should plan to make purchases over time, saving for the things you want.

Holly Becker of Decor8 spent 1,400 euros or about $1,650 on her living room in Germany.

{image via decor8}

Know your options

As you begin to think of what you need for your room, realize that your material choices can directly affect your budget.  For example, paint is less expensive than wallpaper, but if you really want the look of wallpaper, perhaps a stencil or wall decals could give a similar look.  When shopping for upholstery pieces, know that leather is going to be the most expensive.  Pre-made window treatments are less expensive than custom draperies, but you can get a similar effect by adding trim.  As Callie mentioned, sisal rugs are usually more affordable than wool rugs.  Laminate wood is less expensive than hardwood.  Sometimes you can get the look for less!

This is one of my favorite before and afters from Design*Sponge! It truly shows what a difference a little paint and fabric can make!

{image via design*sponge}

Do it yourself

You can easily save money in your home by tackling some projects yourself!  You can paint a room in a day for very little money.  Painting is probably the cheapest and quickest way to transform a room!  Hanging wallpaper is also a skill that can be learned fairly easily.  Consider learning more about how to paint furniture, just like Katie has done.  You may be able to transform furniture pieces that you are considering tossing!  If you know how to sew or have an interest in learning, you can make pillow covers, tablecloths or runners, curtains, and more.  That is a perfect way to give your room a custom look without paying more for it!  When shopping for new furniture, look for pieces that you assemble yourself.  They tend to be less expensive, but can have the quality of already-assembled pieces.  You can also create your own artwork!  Be inspired by abstract artists or take photos of some of your favorite places and have them enlarged!  In your kid’s rooms, photocopy illustrations from their favorite books for art they’ll love!  If it is a custom size but needs to be framed, buy a standard size frame and have the mat cut to size.  Reusing anything you already have will certainly save you money – look for ways to transform it!

I bought this chair on Craigslist for $100 because I knew it was well made. (It originally retailed for over $1500). I refinished the legs and had it reupholstered for a look that fits my house perfectly. It looks like new, but at a much lower cost!

Shop smart

If you are on an Ikea budget, you shouldn’t walk into Pottery Barn to find your main pieces.  Be smart about where you allow yourself to shop so that you aren’t tempted to overspend.  You can find quality furniture and accessories at secondhand sources like Craigslist, Ebay, yard sales, consignment stores, flea markets.  Check outlet stores or shop end of season sales.  For your main pieces, don’t buy anything too trendy that you are likely to tire of.  Instead, use inexpensive accessories to add interest.

Christie Kauffman at Just Beachy spent under $2000 on this room. She bargain hunts and uses slipcovers because she loves to change up the look.

{image via just beachy}

Spend wisely

For the most part, the saying is true – you get what you pay for.  I’d like to make the point that getting the best price now may not be the wisest purchase.  For example, bargain furniture stores sell sofas for $500 or so.  A $500 sofa is made differently than a $1500 sofa.  What is the difference, you ask?  While it varies, it may mean that the wooden joints haven’t been reinforced, the cushions are made of foam, and that the upholstery is synthetic.  This means that the piece isn’t as structurally sound and may crack over time.  Foam cushions aren’t as comfortable as feather cushions, and they aren’t as likely to bounce back with use.  Synthetic upholstery can be resilient, but I can promise you that the fabric on a $500 sofa was not expensive.  Micro-fiber fabric, which is commonly used, is composed of little bits of fiber that are glued together to form the suede-like fabric.  Overtime the glue will break down and the fibers will flake off.  Consider that a $500 sofa may only last three years, while a $1500 sofa may last twenty-years, saving you a good bit of money in the long run.  (The amounts mentioned are general, and are not direct indicators of the quality of the furniture.)  I can hear you thinking: It makes sense that a $1500 sofa would be better quality, but I just can’t afford that right now.  Instead of buying new, consider buying used, but look for things made by reputable furniture companies.

Find out as much as you can about how the furniture is made.  I’ve seen pieces of painted, solid wood furniture that weren’t primed first, and over time the wood began to show through!  As for me, I spent the most on my sectional because that was the place that I could feel the biggest difference in quality based on the comfort.  On the other hand, I knew I didn’t want to spend much on a coffee table because I wanted to be able to put my feet up on it.  Decide what is most important for you.

I hope these tips help you stick to a budget while decorating your home!  If they left you feeling overwhelmed about where to start or unsure of what items to keep and what to toss, consider hiring a professional to help you develop a decorating plan.  With experience working within budgets, we can help you know where to look and how to cut costs.  Happy decorating!

there really are just a few simple steps that we were taught in the furniture class that work for painting any type of wood furniture…real or fake!

1. sand the piece of furniture. i used 100 grit sandpaper, you can really use anything. you don’t have to sand it too much, just enough to give the paint something to adhere to.

2. using krud kutter, wipe down the sanded furniture with some paper towels. this helps prepare the surface for painting.

3. prime the furniture with kilz. (mine got really grainy-the primer made it kinda bumpy, so i sanded it after priming, then wiped it down just with damp paper towels. i don’t know if i got a bad bunch of primer or what, but i got it at lowes, which is where our instructer suggested to get it. she said sometimes you get bad cases of it at wal-mart…or maybe i didn’t shake it enough before using, she said to shake it until the can gets cold!) i used the kilz spray paint & i used a spray paint gun, which are awesome!

4. paint the furniture. by hand. with a paint brush.  i am usually too impatient to paint things by hand, but they strongly recommended doing this in the class, so i obeyed. it wasn’t too bad. it was actually kind of therapeutic and i enjoyed it, surprisingly. they recommend using purdy paint brushes.  the color i went with was valspar queen anne’s lace, it is a beautiful off-white, not too pinky, nor too yellowy.

5. {optional} distress the furniture around the edges and detailing. i used 100 grit sandpaper and distressed it a little, you can do as much or as little as you like. i love it because it gives it that old, rustic, antique look. but some things look good sleek & freshly painted.

that’s all folks! let me know if you have any questions! happy painting! :)