Designer Looks for Less

This week I thought I would talk about getting a designer look for less. I found some awesome wine barrel side table in the Restoration Hardware catalogue, but alas they were $695.00, so I put the thought on hold and continued to look. One day at Target I spotted a similar table for a whole lot less. These were regularly $79.99 and on sale for $59.99. I bought 2 of them as I know that end tables usually don’t take a lot of wear and tear- other than setting your drink down on a coaster. I am always trying to find a bargain and have great success putting items together that I have bought because they were on sale. I keep a list of sizes, if my space is limited, and am always looking for that special piece…on sale…hopefully!
**I do want to say that if the item will get quite a bit of use, like a sofa, recliner or dining chair, I would get a better quality piece and spend more money on it.
I guess the point here is that if you look around you may find something close to the original for alot less. Maybe constructing your own(like the ottoman) can be an option as well.






Can you tell which one is the Restoration Hardware item? (It is the one on top.) Slight difference, but the general shape is great. If I wanted the Target table to look closer to the other, I could paint it.



Another tip I have used to get a designer look for less is to rethink how an item can be repurposed. For example, I was going to donate a suede skirt, but then decided to save it to cut up and make a table runner or pillow cover. Several years ago I bought a black vintage dress that looked as if Jackie O should have worn it, the zipper was broken, and a few beads were missing, but I knew it would make a beautiful pillow someday. It is still waiting for the perfect interior to go into.
A few years ago, I needed an ottoman for my recreation room, but didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg. Therefore, I recruited my husband to help me build one the perfect size for my furniture and room size. It has leopard print upholstery, tufting, and a long hinge on 1 side that allows for storage inside. Note to potential ottoman builders: An automatic staple gun and the long upholstery needles were essential for covering this box! I did pay a local upholstery shop to cover my buttons (for strength), but found instructions online on how to tuft. And yes, I have upholstered my own couch and chairs, but had not tried tufting before this project. We are still using this ottoman today and it has withstood the test of kids and dogs who like to sleep on it.



Above: first ottoman I ever made. It is still in use today!

An inspiration came from: dry stack rock on castles of long ago…My new rock (from Harlowton, MT), was laid or put up on the side of the house and fireplace in the same pattern you would see on a castle from centuries ago. I like the newer look of the stacked stones but I felt that the date that the rock was installed could be figured out just by how they were laid. Another tip about rock- don’t let anyone you like use the cultured stone as it will fade drastically within about 10 years. Yes, it does cost less for cultured rock, but the savings will show when the color is faded. Real rock does not fade and is even enhanced with a sealer every 5 years or so. The other pet peeve I have about some of the cultured stones available is they have a shinyness to them..like fool’s gold?!?!?





The top picture is the old "fake" fireplace before the remodel. The middle picture is the drystack style of stone I thought I wanted, and the bottom picture is the stone style inspiration from castles.

Remodel update: Knobs should not be that hard of a choice, but in my case it is! I love knobs and know just how much they can transform a space…the choices and prices are limitless. I had ordered some knobs (actually handles) from the kitchen department at Johnson Madison Lumber, but knew I wanted some more generic knobs for the laundry room cabinets, so I went to IKEA for those.
Design quote of the week: “Beauty is the quality of harmonious relationships. A formula to produce it does not exist."- Frank A. Parsons

FLASH SALES and an INSPIRATION

Are you always looking for a deal? I wanted to talk about “flash sale” websites such as www.HauteLook.com or www.OneKingsLane.com. If I cannot find an item in Great Falls, I will watch these websites for various items. These websites offer retailers a place to sell their wares at (sometimes huge) discounts for a very limited amount of time and are free for us to join. The time period can be just that day or 4 days, counting on impulse buying I am sure! But you may not have 4 days to make a purchase as items can and do sell out fast! The websites are updated frequently and sometimes list items that are on hold or in another shoppers’ cart. (For instance, the shopper only puts the item in their cart, but doesn’t decide to purchase, so you still have a chance.) Both of these websites will send an email on Sunday or ahead of time to alert you to the brands they will be offering that week. The purchase is actually made from the company itself, not the website. Like I said, if you are interested in an item, you had better act fast as they can be “SOLD OUT” in minutes. Some items I have perused were Seven for All Mankind jeans, rugs, and home accessories. The rug that got away for me would have been perfect, but alas I did not act in time and the sale expired.
So what if you see something, don’t buy it, then regret it later? If you remember the company offering the item, you can usually go directly to their website or you can google it. Keep in mind that it may not be on their website as it was a closeout and the price is almost guaranteed to be higher. I find this very helpful as amazon.com or nextag.com may show items you’re interested in. Put as much information as you can in the search box and it will pull up anything close. I used google.com to find my new house number plaque.
Another hint for getting a discount or free shipping is to sign up for email notifications from your favorite companies. They sometimes send out email only discounts or specials. Many times I will have my eye on an item and will watch to see if it goes on clearance or will wait for an email discount or sale. You do run the risk of the item getting sold out by the time a discount or sale comes along.
Whether you buy from these “flash sale” websites or not, they are fun to peruse and even just wish from.

Remember my new section on inspirations?
An inspiration came from… a trip to Seattle I saw a baby item with a giraffe skin print, so I decided I needed 3 giraffe skin paintings for my own home, after all I had a 12 ½ foot long wall and knew it would be awhile before I could afford a landscape by a local artist that I love(James Bason.) After looking on the internet for patterns I painted my own in 3 different colors: teal/aqua blue, gold and green. I wanted a little bit of a surprise and a “oh…I get it” from visitors and I think I get that… I have included a picture of them.

Remodel update: I am still searching for the perfect arrangement of furnishings, driving my husband crazy by asking him to help if any of it is too heavy for me to move myself. Second, we finally have house numbers on the front of the house. I shopped online for a mission style plaque and found one on www.etsy.com from georgiegirlstudios. I am also working a custom doorbell. Pictures will follow when that is complete.

Design quote of the week: “Nothing is passé if you really love it.”—Interior designer/antiques dealer Rose Tarlow, June/July 94