Sunday, August 19, 2012

Fantastic Sale at Serena & Lily

hammered metal tray:
 woven paper bowl:
 beckett desk:
 crochet edge towels:
 gumdrop pendant:

The hammered metal tray from Serena & Lily is now $69.99. I love this on top of a boring little table to give it new life, to serve food and drinks to guests, on the floor near a chair or a bed for magazines, or in the center of a dining table (on a lazy susan) for condiments when eating and by itself when not. 

The woven paper bowl comes in two sizes and two colors: black or blue. They're now $28.99 - 38.99. Sit on the floor to hold paperbacks, on the counter for fruit, the small one on a dresser for belts or chunky jewelry, the large one in the bathroom for small towels or toilet paper....

The beckett desk is perfect for small spaces at 47"W and only 23 1/2"D. It's down to $629.99 made from solid wood, it's a great deal. I can see in an entry, great for dropping your mail and keeping things near the door you need; keys, wallet, camera, gift cards, dog lease... the small things you need to grab when going out.

The crochet edge towels come in a set of 3 are now $24.99. They come in a few colors including navy (shown). I've always loved these....

The pink gumdrop pendant is perfect for a child's room, especially if they have a little walk-in closet. And they come in blue. At $29.99 each, you can get multiples.  Note they're hardwired, not plug-ins...


Monday, August 13, 2012

My Inspiration Board






I had a cancellation the other day so I spent the morning changing up my inspiration board. I switched out a few images I was bored with and added some new ones. Lots of these are pulled from magazines but there are also images pulled from the web that I printed on photo paper. The pink drawing in the last image is a my nephew's signature penguin.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Beautiful Hampers You Can Live With




Hampers are the worst. Most people, especially those with limited space, keep them in their bedroom and there's seriously nothing less sexy than an open bin of dirty clothes.  If it must be out, I suggest a beautiful lidded version, one that is seamless with your decor. 

The senegalese storage baskets from Serena & Lily are fantastic and come in a few different color options (not shown). The Seagrass Hamper from BrookFarm General Store is subtle and lovely.

The large woven sedona hamper from Crate and Barrel is a long time favorite. And last but not least, this small zipped soft box (which I have) from Muji. Small enough to fit practically anywhere, I have it hidden under my desk.

And don't limit these to just laundry. They're great for storing linens, towels, or even children's toys....

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Reader's Questions: Reasonably Priced Picture Frames

ikea frames, image unknown:
 image courtesy of pottery barn:
 image courtesy of west elm:
 image courtesy of west elm:

Kimberly asks: " Where do you suggest shopping for sturdy but reasonably priced frames?"

The thing is, framing can be pretty expensive. I know clients who spend more on the frames than their art. But there are well priced options out there.

I love the Ribba series from Ikea. They're inexpensive and I think they look great, but you get what you pay for. My art installer and friends with art collections don't especially like their quality.

Pottery Barn and West Elm have great mid-priced quality frames in various sizes and finishes and they go on sale from time to time making them even more affordable.

Americanframe.com is a great online resource. My art installer highly recommends them. There's a nice selection of finishes and sizes to create a custom frame without the high cost of a store front custom framer. They have ready made frames too.

If you have something special, try a local framing store for a wide selection of custom sizes, styles and finishes. Remember, they're more expensive because you're paying for the advice. They can help you pick a frame that goes best with the art you have as well as matting, whether to use glass or plexi to preserve the art.

Hope this helps Kimberly!