Honeysuckle # 18-2120

Honeysuckle…The holiday season is over…decorations are put away…now what? How about a color change in the house or cabin? Honeysuckle is Pantone’s Color of the year and why… drum roll please…

According to Pantone it is a “color for all seasons. Courageous Confident Vital A brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you, and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day- with nothing ‘everyday’ about it.”

What are they talking about? I guess it is the psychology of color. While last year’s Pantone Color of the Year Turquoise # 15-5519 let us escape and think of relaxation and the tropics, honeysuckle will lift our spirits in times of stress. This reddish pink color attracts the hummingbird to its flower and looks good on men and women. According to Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of Pantone Institute, it is also believed to help us get rid of the blues and bring on a nostalgic feeling because we associate the color with its scent and carefree days of spring and summer.

How can you use it without being overwhelmed? How about in your accessories or paint an accent wall in a hallway, kitchen or family room. Crate and Barrel has some beautiful pillows, shower curtains and bedding in this color. They are sure to lift your spirits on a cold winter day! It has also been combined with a kelly green or a spring green for a rather "preppy" look-at least it reminds me of some of the clothing that J.Crew offers that definitely have a "preppy" feel to them.

Crate and Barrel Bedding

Crate and Barrel Shower curtain

Holiday Kitchen fromTraditional Home

Design Quote of the week: “I don’t think people have enough fun with decorating. It doesn’t always have to be so serious. Design isn’t like a marriage. You don’t have to commit for life.” -Designer Ross Cassidy, June 2010 issue of Elle Décor magazine

Inspiration of the Week: I ordered fresh cut spruce for a 6’ round table top I had viewed on a website that offered recycled wood accessories such as benches and tables. I wanted a rough look to my tabletop and may beat the wood up with a chain or hammer before I put a finish on it. I also made sure it was 1 ¾” thick for a nice deep edge and plan on “biscuit-ing” it together and building a frame for the underside to prevent twisting. The guys at Windsor Plywood have been most helpful!

Remodel update: Right before the holidays I finished the trim paint( which by the way, I think my door color- Suitable Brown-was used on the railings in the MT State Capitol Building), looked at a lot of fabrics for roman shades for the fishbowl of a dining area and finally decided to buy natural woven wood blinds from my own company. I sell blinds from Timber Blinds, check it out at http://www.timberblinds.com/, then let me know if you are interested or need a consultation about window coverings.

Decadence at its best!! Who dat? New Orleans...

New Orleans Saints, fleur-de'lis, & french architecture everywhere! Who dat?? All I know is that New Orleans is a lot of fun!!! It's not just plastic beads, obscene t-shirts and hurricane glasses... I was lucky enough to get to go with my husband, for the 3rd time, while he had classes to attend, to this beautiful city! It does not disappoint...we had to come home just to rest and detox after taking in the entertainment!

This trip was much different from the last one 3 years ago. It was 18 months post Katrina and visibly different. Then you could still see water lines on the restaurant walls, cement bridge supports and buildings. Quite a few businesses were still closed. This trip the restaurants and buildings had been repainted or somehow removed the water lines, the weather had faded or removed the lines from the bridge supports and it appeared that the stores were reopened.

It is renowned for it's variety of music and in the 7 or 8 blocks of Bourbon Street the choices are not disappointing. We listened to jazz, blues, rock, karaoke, and a funny dueling piano act.

What I love the most is the French architecture and interior design of the whole French Quarter. The vivid colors that represent Europe and iron balconies(where they do still throw beads and try to entice the women to show their stuff) are everywhere. The courthouse' whole first level is made of white marble. Jackson Square is gated with ornate decorations and street vendors selling artwork. Horse drawn carriages await to take you on various tours of historic homes or the bayou. I bought a poster with pictures of the various entry doors that hang in the French Quarter. Royale Street (runs parallel to Bourbon Street) was home to many different kinds of shops, from antique stores to French linen and décor items.. There are also novelty shops that sell alligator heads, claws, and all sorts of curios and souvenirs.

On one of my previous trips, I attended a cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking. We started by making roux, the gravy-like base of gumbo and jumbalaya, then pralines. The best part was eating the goodies and learning insider tips for making the items. There are a number of places that host cooking classes and offer different cajun fare. This was one event that is worth repeating.

Brennan's is a world renowned restaurant on Royale Street where the dessert called bananas foster was invented because the owner would receive large quantities of bananas on the boats and needed to use them somehow. The owners of Brennan's also owns the Red Fish Grill restaurant on Bourbon Street that makes awesome po-boys and other seafood dishes. Our other favorite restaurant is G.W. Finns, located just off Bourbon Street.

Out looking around, I found a new home furnishing store named "home and garden" in the mall. They were showing very light, white-washed woods, aquas, and natural linens to create a restful and elegant decor. Check them out at http://www.handg.com/ . Big , elegant furnishings that didn't look as heavy because it WAS painted lighter colors.

Have I enticed you yet? Take a trip to New Orleans for a fun, fun time!

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

It's Beginning to look alot like...

Dare I say it??? It's beginning to look a lot like... New Years. I know you were thinking “Christmas”, but I am too late for that…this year was a bit different with the decorations as I had a new floor plan to work with.
When planning the remodel I purposely included built-in shelves next to the fireplace, AND ordered extra shelves to display my 30-some Department 56 North Pole collection houses and figurines. I also included electrical plug-ins to light them or any other lighted decoration. My mantel is not quite as deep as the old one so it too, had to have a new decoration plan. It was definitely fun to re-do things…I tried not to buy much, just “re-place”(kinda like reduce reuse recycle).

I do try to tie the color of the Christmas decorations in with the rest of the home décor. I added blue/aqua to my palette this year.

Now is the time to watch for clearance items for next year..and I don’t just mean decorations, I mean timers, LED lights, remote controls, etc. the convenience products that will make your life easier. But it is a good time to stock up on a new style of decorations, gift wrap, ribbon, etc. for next year.

This year I received a thank you gift of a set of LED candles that run on a battery, flicker, and have a remote control! (My husband loves them because no worries about burning anything down and I can stand in one place to “light” them all!)

Other items I cannot live without are remote controls and lighting that don't need to be plugged in...and how about the timers that will automatically turn lights on and off at specified times. They can also turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn if you want them too! Be sure to watch that you only use them for their intended purpose such as the interior or exterior. *** I actually use timers all year around to light the lamps inside the house if we are gone. Another fun thing to do for the whole year is wrap lights on garden accessories for the summer. These timers and remotes can be purchased at Target, Home Depot, Ace Hardware or most anywhere that sells Christmas decorations.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with many happy memories and decorations.



Design Quote of the week: "Fill your house with flowers. Once a week, I head to the flower market and get lots of freesias, hydrangeas, lilacs, forsythia, tulips, or whatever's in season. Using tin cans and Mason jars for vases, my husband and I make arrangements for every room." Kristen Brant, Interior Designer


Inspiration of the week: I found a wonderful furniture company called Maine Cottage- they make a rainbow of solid fabrics (indoor/outdoor) upholstery as well as bright beautiful prints. These fabrics never cease to lift my mood! (Check them out at http://www.mainecottage.com/) On one of the flash sale websites that I frequent, called Haute(http://www.hautelook.com/) , some of Maine Cottages fabric was offered at about 1/2 price and of course, I couldn't pass it up, and bought 4 shades of blues and greens to slipcover the 4 of the dining chairs. The remaining chairs may be covered in a natural linen. (We don't have grandkids yet, so no worries about stains. And when there are grandkids I will coat the fabric with protectant.)


Remodel update: All door trim is finished, the mantel is assembled, stained and decorated, closet and entry doors are painted a wonderful shade called SUITABLE BROWN. The color is a brown with green and gray tones. I recently spent an entire week of free time filling nail holes, sanding and painting the trim. The 4 dining chairs are slipcovered...and I will change these slipcovers seasonally. Yet to be decided are the window coverings: natural woven blinds vs. my own hand-sewn roman shades...

See you in 2011!

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

Introducing a new addition to my blog...and Parade of Homes Attributes

The new addition to my blog is a piece on WHAT INSPIRES ME when I am in the middle of designing my own space or someone elses. This week it was the fall Ballard Design cataloque and their use of finishes ad fabrics that evoke an antique, lived-in feel. I was inspired to go to my stash of metal ceiling tiles and cabinets to create artwork and and endtable(still in progress.)

End table in the making???

old ceiling tile w/ aqua paint

metal border tile in olive

It was well worth the $7 ticket price if you attended the 10th Annual Parade of Homes this past weekend in Great Falls! The homes represented all price points, from a NeighborWorks home built for financially qualified owners AND built by our very own high school students, to a million dollar plus priced home. Several design styles were represented- craftsman details, formal with lots of millwork, modern cable rails on the stairways with stained concrete floors, to tray ceilings in a master closet. This home also had a beautifully tiled wall in the shape of an arc and a soaking tub situated in front of some gorgeous picture windows overlooking the Missouri River!
If you are just looking to see what is new in the home building industry or want to get ideas for a remodel or new construction project-the Parade of Homes is the open house of all open houses! A couple of things caught my eye: the Neighbor Works house was staged by the current senior class of interior designers at MSU-COT as well as one other middle priced home was staged by a local interior designer. (I was asked to help in the project by choosing a room, but we had prior commitments and I felt that the time constraints were too tight to do a show my style properly.) Staging a home can only enhance its attributes and maybe even help sell them for you- or just give you ideas for your own home.
Another high point for me was the Whispering Ridge Hallmark home. It was a mix of contemporary/modern and traditional design ideas. The moldings were simple with a basic 1 X 6 (???), the windows were not trimmed with a traditional molding, they just had sheetrock bull-nosed (a rounded edge) up to the window sill. The basement floor was stained concrete- and yes, the floor did show some cracking , but it felt like it was part of the staining. The designer of this home had a clear idea of what he wanted to do and it was very appealing to me with no clutter, simple lines, fresh contemporary, dark cabinets, some curvy floor design to designate the living area from the kitchen/dining area. The stair rails were made of metal and cables. The walkout basement bathroom, where bedrooms were located, had an extra sink outside of the full bath along with extra storage. I liked this detail especially if your kids need the bathroom at the same time in the morning, etc. Modern design seems to be slow in acceptance for most Montanans but this was tastefully done.
I also wanted to comment on the Wilkinson’s Craftsmen style home out in the Spring Tree area: gorgeous! A private water feature out front drew you into the home.. Unique items were the travertine tile floors cut in random shapes and sizes…I mean up to about 3’ by 5’ pieces that was also used as the stair treads. Glass tiles were used on the basement fireplace, master bath details, kitchen backsplash. (This was the home mentioned above with the tray ceiling in the master closet and the arc wall adn soaker tub in fron tof the windows.) Windows everywhere!! Of course with the best views…my only drawback was the possibility of snakes getting to my dogs or me!
In years past the parade of Homes has had at least 1 remodeled home that the owner used to display her high-end bath products and tile. It was fun to see how the creativity using glass tiles, metal island support, and cool sinks really updated this generic home. I have been thinking about using my own homes remodel as an entry into the Parade of Homes to highlight my interior design talents. (Of course we would wait until phase 3 of the remodel is complete..master suite, backyard, kitchen replaced.) What do you think? Many people go through in a couple of days…

CONCRETE COUNTERS

Remodel update: I am including a couple of pictures of the concrete countertops that we had installed next to the fireplace. The colors may not be a true representation of their beauty. I chose a deep bronze, charcoal and sand coloring to pull out these colors from other areas of the remodel design. I also wanted a matte finish and slightly rustic so any kind of pock mark or blemish was okay by me. If any of you are interested in my contractor or wants to see the tops themselves just give me a call. We have decided to wait on the kitchen cabinets-I am looking for a certain type of upper cabinet and will relish the extra time to make sure it is just right! We have a lot more space to change it up.

Design quote of the week: “To take an edge off a white ceiling, always add 10% of the wall color to the ceiling paint.” -Sandra Nunnerly in Architectural Digest

Autumn trends

DESIGN QUOTE of the WEEK:
“Rent a Dumpster and prune, prune, prune! If you take a day and actually look at the things in your house, you’ll realize that a million of them can be tossed.” Jonathon Adler, Designer
REMODEL UPDATE:
Well, what an end to summer we have had. We started in July with the first of 5 weddings to attend and just now finished with that. We traveled to Port Orchard to watch our oldest McCall participate in her first triathlon AND took our son Chris along for an old-fashioned family vacation. The only disagreements were about the music playing on Sirius radio…he finally plugged in his iPod for the “good stuff”. (At least there were no speeding tickets this trip.) Another highlight was the Sage Fly Rod factory tour on Bainbridge Island. If anyone reading this is a fly-fisher person you would appreciate the tour just to see how it’s done.
As far as the remodel goes, we have the details left: latch on the pocket door, trim the back door, build a mantel, install the surround sound, and whole house music components, and phase 1 will be done!!!! Yes, I said phase 1…we have decided to wait to do the kitchen cabinets, along with some of the siding, and maybe the back patio until next year. Phase 3 will be the master suite and extra bath in the daylight basement. No new pictures this month..next time!

On to the real reason you read this and that is for the design content….right!?!?
How about autumn trends? I haven’t thought much about autumn trends myself, but I came across articles with information that you may want or absolutely need. Take note that these trends will probably last far into the future just like all of the other trends/changes in design. Some of you may have already picked up on this from your catalogues or magazines: the less is more strategy(i.e. de-cluttering) is very prominent, along with the use of neutrals and natural materials.
Some of the trends mentioned included the use of vintage accents such as French-burlap, aged or color-washed wood accessories, and even oversized accents. Linen is also being used for draperies as they are simpler and available in many colors-no more heavy or overdone window treatments!
Fall designs are showing neutral color for walls and the basic furniture but bolder colors to add visual interest for the accents. For variety, these brightly colored accessories can be changed out with the seasons.
Another trend involves rugs: any size, shape, or color you can imagine is available. Layering them with an area rug on top of wall-to-wall carpeting. These also can be changed out with the season as well.
Did I mention wallpaper? Yes, it is back! Actually, I am not sure if it ever actually totally went away...I visited a home on an open house 1 sunday a few months back-it had been flipped, but the owners chose to keep the grass cloth from lots of years prior-it just looked so traditional, yet, modern. I knew I had to have some and feel that it will last alot of years as well. Oversized designs, easy to apply and remove glues are the newest innovations. And yes, I did just put up some grass cloth above the fireplace for a textural look. Oh, and there is even eggplant colored grass cloth that is to die for!! And, grass cloth with printed designs on them, like damask. See the pictures of the fireplace in the August 1st blog entry.
Artwork should be something you love- it doesn’t have to be expensive, just has meaning for you or your family. Think a serene peaceful landscape of the French countryside because you visited there or of the ocean or forest because of your travels or cabin.
I have read about trends in design changing with the economy and tend to believe we maybe subconsciously DO just that. It could be the design companies who are influencing this as they seem to be promoting the less is more and recycled look for items. (Restoration Hardware.com and Ballard Designs.com are 2 examples.) I for example had been accessorizing like crazy, up until this remodel, and now want a fresh start, less clutter and visual junk. I now am de-cluttering like crazy with the surviving accessories being collectibles like my antique oil lamps, copper containers, and glass collection of spheres and vases, ceiling tin pieces, and stained glass windows remaining.
Less is more in the bedding department. Use neutral basics again with a simple duvet and top blanket. If you must, maybe only use 2 pillows in front of each sham.
Speaking of pillows…these budget friendly accessories can be changed out with the seasons…have a set for fall, Christmas, spring, etc.
And I save the best for last, remember brass? Well, now they are antiqued and are showing up on everything from drapery rods to knobs and figurines. Gold is a very warm color (as it is close to yellow- you knew that!) I just don’t know if I can give up my oil-rubbed bronze and copper stuff!!
Well, have a great day…until next time!