Sunday, July 8, 2012

Estate Sale Finds . Amazing . Everyday

Estate Sale Purchase $40

Starting to scare myself with the hoard of vintage furniture I have collected. Heading out this morning to rent a storage unit to house the collection. I can only work on one piece at at time and the hoard is crowding my creative energy. 

I frequently remind myself....re-purposing is a true form of "green living". My hoard would otherwise end up in a land fill. The furniture was made by Americans! How patriotic is that...


Creating mood boards for my pieces on Olioboard helps me to visualize the end result and this chair screams Vintage Beach House.


Now I can see my vision come to life...wood trim will be painted with Benjamin Moore Sea Salt and slightly distressed. Fabric selection is from Robert Allen's Tropical Collection. Skipping the buttons on back cushion. Can you see it now....sitting in the chair watching the surf roll in from the huge window. Of course there is a cup of coffee in your hand.

Being a female I have the right to change my mind a few times. What would it look like in a city finish or suburbia look?


Right? Same chair refinished in Benjamin Moore Black Beauty in a high gloss finish and Marrekesh Ikat Dusk fabric. Sans the buttons.  Fabulous!!!!  Serve me a martini now!

Before I tackle this project...I am off to rent a storage space! Then a few decisions! 

Which look is your favorite? City or Beach? I would love to hear.

One this I am sure of is.....

I will make my upholsterer very happy!






Monday, July 2, 2012

Organization . Amazing . Everyday





Being organized is in your DNA! I envy organized people because they know where everything is in their homes. Ask an organized person where something is and they will tell you exactly what shelve or closet it is in and what is right next to it.  NO wasting time looking for their other black shoe, car keys, a missing sock or something even more important.

Organization does not have to be an extreme and most people fall in the middle of the spectrum, like me! I will admit to spending a lot time looking for things…and I am an empty nester. Having a family can thwart the most organized person efforts.

So when I was invited to join OlioHop’s 15 bloggers writing about organization and clutter I immediately agreed…then panic set in for a few minutes. Being a managing partner of a residential cleaning company I see every client’s home before they begin service….first hand knowledge of where most clutter ends up in peoples homes.

Think you can guess which room it is? It is the laundry room. Yep, no matter how neat and organized the rest of the house is…it is the laundry room where items line the floor, odd socks and everything else that does not have a place ends up.  I get the same response from most clients….just clean the laundry room floor.

So I set out to design the perfect laundry room using Olioboard 3D to create my mood board. It was so easy! There are a ton of tools and you can upload your own images. I am so inspired by the results I plan to redecorate my own laundry room.

My mood board for the perfect Laundry Room

Storage space is the key to keeping this room organized because most LR lack storage. The 2 large storage cabinets flanking the appliances allow for plenty of storage and easy access. Each unit has 3 large compartments and the higher ones can be used for detergent and household products. The lower one is great for kids to store bookbags, shoes and sports equipment.

While the flat surface of the dresser is perfect for folding clothes the drawers give added storage. The wooden planter boxes ...a stylish way to hide the items which usually line the floor of your LR.

Being organized is really about storage space and without enough of it is hard to achieve. This look can be achieved without spending a ton of money. Personally, I love to find a good piece of furniture in thrifts stores and re-purpose.  

Being organized and removing clutter from your home is "freeing"! No more closed doors in my house!

I mentioned several other bloggers participated in Oliohop and I peeked at a few!  Happy to say they are awesome so please read all of them for more tips. 




1. Lesley of @chaoticallycrea --               
BLOG: http://chaoticallycreative.com *chaoticallycreative*

2. Kate of @DabbleInChic --                    



3. Selma of @DesignerSelma --              
BLOG: http://blog.selmahammer.com *selmahammerdesigns*



4. Colette of @frugalfinds1 --                    
BLOG: http://frugal-finds.net *cconway915*



5. Julie of @gosimplysavvy --                   
BLOG: http://gosimplysavvy.com/blog *julieatsimplysavvy*



6. Joanne of @homestyling101 --            
BLOG: http://homestyling101.blogspot.com *homestyling101*



7. Jennifer of @iheartorganize --              
BLOG: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com *iheartorganzing*



8. Marilyn of @Marilyn_Russell --            
BLOG: http://design-magnifique.com *marilyngrg*



9. Tamara of @myurbaneclectic --           
BLOG: http://myurbaneclectic.com *tarcher*



10. Lindsey of @pinkletandc:                    
BLOG: http://pinkletandc.blogspot.com *lindseypinks*



11. Antoinette of @PUSHinteriors             
BLOG: http://pushinteriors.blog.com *PUSHinteriors*



12. Katrina of @seasideinterior                 
BLOG: http://seasideinteriors.ca  *seasideinteriors*



13. Stacy Naquin of @StacyNaquin         



14. Ana of @whitelinenintrs                      
BLOG: http://whitelineninteriors.net/blog *whitelineninteriors*


Don't forget to try Olioboard!


www.olioboard.com