Chair on a Budget...

If you have champagne taste on a beer budget (we use that expression all the time at the office) you must learn to see past stigmas and brand names. I have not seen this chair in person, but I think it could be a knock-out. The cushion would be a breeze to re-upholster and voila, it looks triple the price! Would you guess it comes from here for only $149.99 ?!

Daily Candy

This mirrored screen from Lighting by Gregory would be a great way to add height and drama to a room.

Great Frugal Find from Z Gall

I always like to peruse Z-Gallerie at least once a month (although I find the store to be a little on the messy side and overwhelmingly tribal), but never-the-less I always seem to find some cute accessory or trend worth snatching up.  I got this bowl in the lime green color and I love it! It's simple and I think looks much more expensive than the $29.95 price tag.  

BTW, the orange looks really sharp in person.  

Color of the Year

Pantone has named their color of choice for 2008- Blue Iris- #18-3943

Replacing last year's crowned color, Chili Pepper Red, this magical, calming, mysterious shade of blue-purple is for sure going to be rocking the paint world. This is no surprise given that"blue is the new green" for 2008 (so we hear!)

More from Anne!

I know I've posted about Anne Harwell before, but she is just so talented that I wanted to share with you some of her newest additions to her Etsy store...

These cute quote prints would make a great gift for someone or would even just be a nice inspiring piece to put in your own home!

This print is for sale also and is another one of Anne's outstanding pieces of art

She was also recently featured on Domino Magazine online!

I love porcelain artichokes- I have one in my own Living Room so I think this piece is especially fabulous!

Plinth and Chintz!

One of my favorite new websites I discovered is Plinth and Chintz! It's a Dallas based online newsletter created by Interior Designer Laura McDonald whose mission is to "bridge the gap between the student/ educational community and the professionals/ manufacturer community of the Interior Design world".

We love the idea of her website because four years just isn't enough time in school to learn EVERYTHING you need to know about the Interior Design world. Her publication is very informative for those considering studying Interior Design, those already studying design, design professors, recent graduates from design school, and even professional designers! She also keeps readers updated on events around town as well as job openings.

Aside from having one of the most adorable website names around, she has some VERY useful information on there- be sure to check it out!

Miles has got style!

We wanted to feature this "room" because it is different than all the others that we usually blog about in that it is an exterior room- not an interior one! I love this quaint outdoor "Living Room" designed by Miles Redd- featured in this month's Domino.

This 16x21 terrace is a place where Miles can entertain friends and family. I love the teal color palette he chose for this area- that is definitely what grabbed my attention first. I also adore the small mirrored table- not used to seeing those outside but it looks fantastic! He also placed mirrors in the trellis to make the space appear larger. Overall, its glam factor is a 10 on my scale!

New color watch!

This month's Domino featured an ode to "kelly green". We love this shade! They used it in a kitchen here with black and white graphic accents- really makes the white shelves pop! Domino suggests Sherwin Williams shade #6924 Direct Green

Also be sure to check out one of my favorite blogs, Coco+Kelley- Cassandra writes this fashionable California based blog featuring all of her favorite design and decor finds. Coco+Kelley was named after her love for Coco Chanel, an inspiring design mentor, and her signature color, kelly green...she has some great posts in general and also some featuring this lovely shade- you don't want to miss them!

Design Sponge also did a nice post on this color...would be a great fresh new shade for this upcoming Summer!

Neirmann Weeks

I first fell in love with Neirmann Weeks when I worked for another residential designer. I went into the Allan Knight showroom here in Dallas and was taken aback by all of the gorgeous furnishings, fabric, wallcoverings, and lighting. I was on a mission to find a Niermann Weeks chandelier for one of her clients and was so captivated by all of his glamorous lighting. I saw the above ad in Elle Decor not too long ago and became obsessed with the floor lamp in it- a Niermann Weeks creation. I then come to find out that I am not the only one who has had her eye on this lamp- a lot of other bloggers have also! The Montaigne Floor Lamp was first introduced in 2006 and apparently has made a lasting impression on Interior Designers all over. It was chosen by Interior Design magazine as one of the best new products of the year! We love!

Interior Paint- from A to Z!

A- Accent Wall- I love at least one fun accent wall in a house- warming up a fireplace wall in a living room or another focal point in your home, these are perfect for when you feel like trying out a bold color but don’t want to use it on the entire room

B- Bristles- Paint brushes with natural bristles are meant for oil based paints. Those with synthetic bristles are for water based or latex paints.

C- Color- I know the trend these days is to do everything neutral, but don’t be scared to paint your house a fun bright color…also consider paint colors that enhance your physical features- if you have red hair, you should consider painting in blues, greens, purples, or teals- you definitely need to look fab in your own home!

D- Dry- Let your paint dry- I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started to put my accessories back after painting because I was so excited to see how it would look, only to discover the paint was not fully dry and I ended up ruining a perfectly good vase on my fireplace!

E- Environmentally friendly- Sherwin Williams, for example, offers a paint with no V.O.C.’s (volatile organic compounds) called Harmony Interior Latex paint.

F- Flow- when you are selecting paint colors for your home (especially if you have an open floor plan) be sure to consider each individual room and how the rooms relate to one another. You want everything to kind of flow into each other and coordinate so your house looks unified.

G- Gloss finish- I prefer to use high gloss paints on doors and trim- they are shiny and a lot easier to clean!

H- Hardware- remove all hardware before you paint- that includes cabinet knobs, hinges, door knobs, light switch plates, outlet covers and light fixtures...what you will remove depends on the room of course!

I- Inexpensive- I always tell people that paint is the most inexpensive way to completely transform your home. Every home could do with a new paint job every once in a while

J- Java- a dark brown paint color that is really chic right now!

K- Kitchen- this area as well as your bathroom are exposed to water, steam, and heavy use, so I would suggest a semi gloss paint in these areas

L- Light- Before you paint, be sure to examine your color swatches on the wall in the daytime and at night…trust me, paint changes when exposed to different lighting conditions!

M- Mood- Decide on the mood of your house/room early on- this will help you decide on a color palette. Do you want the room to be cheerful, calm, exciting or intimate?

N- Neutrals- You’d be surprised but sometimes neutral paint is the hardest color to decide on! Trim is usually white or off white and believe me, this can take the longest time to pick out- there are so many whites out there, it will drive you crazy. Be patient and test out these colors before you paint- trim accents can really make a room so make sure you choose wisely!

O- Order- make sure you always paint rooms in this order: ceiling, walls, trim, cabinet, doors

P- Primer- Most paint jobs look better if you use a primer or base coat first- especially for darker colors. You can have the primer tinted to the color of your surface paint so you can avoid having to do a second coat!

Q- Quart- Use this size to sample paint on your walls before committing to a gallon

R- Razor blades- scrape leftover dripped paint off glass or tile with a razor blade

S- Sherwin Williams- has recently come out with a lot more colors and is now more like Benjamin Moore- I love their new historical palettes and around the world paint colors

T- Trim and taping off- If you are painting yourself, trim should be painted with a steady hand…also remember to tape off the walls in your room using painters blue tape- it’s really time saving in the end!

U- Ultra modern- in these minimal spaces, a snow white color can look very nice. Otherwise, I like to stick with more color or a tinted off white in transitional/traditional spaces because bright white can end up looking very sterile

V- V.O.C.’s- you want paint with low or no V.O.C.’s!

W- Wrap- Wrap your brushes in plastic wrap and seal in a plastic bag when you are taking a break so they won’t dry out. Brush expenses can really add up if you aren’t careful...

X- “Xtra” leftover paint- be sure to save and store in small jars for future touchups!

Y- Yellow- this is another color that is making a big comeback for Spring!

Z- Zebra- I love this trendy fabric right now- it provides a neutral base of black and white print on a rug, pillow, or upholstery, so that you can paint your walls ANY color and it will look great with it!