Tart House

Ivy's Nursery

2011-12-01T11:35:00.002-07:00

I finally took some pictures of Ivy's nursery! I had so much fun putting this room together for my baby girl.

I go the idea for the flower balls in the mobile on Pinterest - here. The metal birds I already had. They are from Alice Lane in Orem, Utah.

Two things on the shelf are from my own childhood. I framed a page from one of my favorite children's books, The Fat Cat. And the alphabet box used to be in my nursery as a baby.

Sources:

Crib and glider - WalMart
Curtains and dresser - Ikea (but I got the dresser on Craiglist for a great deal)
Rug - Rugs USA
Crib sheet, crib skirt, Ottoman, lamp - Target
Artwork above dresser - Cost Plus World Market
Artwork above crib - Urban Outfitters

Bedroom Room Board

2011-09-09T10:19:00.003-07:00

Here's a room board I recently completed for a client. She already had the headboard and bedding so I knew I needed to work in navy, and this artwork did just the trick! It had navy plus all the fun orange, yellow, turquoise, and green that I used for the rest of the accessories.

AZ Magazine - Melissa's House

2011-09-01T13:42:00.006-07:00

AZ Magazine recently featured our work at Melissa's house in an article they did about budget decorating. Once I get my copy in the mail, I will scan and post the full size article so the text is readable. I thought the pictures turned out great, and Melissa looks so cute!

UPDATE: Click the below images to enlarge and read full text of article.

I've been pretty MIA lately - very busy being fat and pregnant and making my husband rub my feet. But don't lose hope on me yet, I've got a few posts planned for the next week or so. I'm trying to be a good little blogger again!

A little progress

2011-08-11T09:18:00.003-07:00

Slowly but surely making some progress in the nursery. So far we have:

- Emptied the room and closet, no easy task since this was formerly our office.
- Touched up paint
- Painted closet and installed closet system
- Bought a dresser ($80 bucks on Craigslist!)
- Placed rug in room
- Ordered and framed first piece of artwork

Here's how it looks now compliments of a poor quality phone camera. Even though we've done a lot of work, it still looks pretty sad and empy. But I'm loving the rug!!

My next steps are:

- Order the crib
- Decide on hardware for dresser drawers
- Decide on a glider
- Continue hunt for curtains or fabric for DIY curtains

I also picked up this print that I hope to work into the room as well. It is "Collective" by Jodi Fuchs.

Nursery Ideas

2011-07-11T09:03:00.003-07:00

Baby #1 is on the way! I'm 22 weeks along and ever since we found out we're having a baby girl the wheels have been turning for how to decorate the nursery. Here are my initial ideas, but I have a feeling I'm going to be changing my mind on a few things. I just want it cheery, but soothing, neat, and modern. Lots of colors and not TOO much pink.

I already ordered the rug from Rugs USA during their 4th of July 40% off sale. Can't wait for it to get here!

Copycat Project : DIY Cloud Art

2011-04-26T13:47:00.003-07:00

I knew when I saw this project featured on A Cup of Jo, I had to try it out.

Amber from Amber Interiors took a photo of clouds, blew it up, and framed it in an IKEA frame. Genius.

I used a photo I had taken a long time ago, and simply cropped it so only the sky was in the frame. Then I tweaked it a bit to get the turquoise color I was going for. Here is my version hanging in my bedroom.

Such a fast, easy, and cheap project!

Before and After - Alex's Room

2011-04-15T09:13:00.003-07:00

Recently, my mom and I helped with my little cousin Alex's room. He is 15 and needed something a little more grown up. He's also a huge fan of University of Utah sports - so he requested the room be themed around that; including a red wall! I'm usually not a fan of red walls, but I think for Alex's room it worked. It's a fun addition to this teenage boy room.

Here's the original room board I put together. We veered a little from this plan, which usually happens, but it gave us a good blueprint.

We did this whole room for under $300. My Aunt Chris did most the work - removing wallpaper, painting the room, and painting the furniture. Once she had everything prepped, we spent a full Saturday finishing the room. The morning was spent at IKEA picking up the last essentials, and the rest of the day we organized and rearranged, hung artwork, and begrudgingly put together our IKEA purchases.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE - Desk

AFTER - Desk

Before Alex's desk held his TV for videogames, and there wasn't a lot of surface left for anything else. Chris painted the desk drawers, and we cleared it off so he can use it for homework now.

We purchased a $12 Ikea LACK table to provide a new spot for his TV. We also put a bin underneath to hold all his videogame systems.

BEFORE - Closet

AFTER - Closet

Alex purged a lot of his clothes he no longer wears, and we brought in a shoe organizer, a drawer system, and some bins. Much better!

We added a shelf above his bed for all his trophies.

We placed a chair here as a place for him to sit to play his videogames. For the University of Utah artwall, we found all the images online and printed them on a color printer. The frames are old ones that we painted black.

So there you go, a teenage boy room on an extreme budget!

Melissa's House

2011-04-07T13:49:00.005-07:00

Hey remember when I used to post on this blog? Yeah me too. Well I decided to dust off my blogger dashboard today and show you these before and afters from my friend and client, Melissa. I've posted about the progress at her house a couple times, including the last post about the art I made for her kitchen. Today I'm showing you the pictures from her family room. This room is huge! We worked on it for a few months, and it's about 99% done now. She just has a few more pillows to add, her mom is making the covers for her and they're not quite done. But as you will see, it has come a long way.

Here's how it looked when they moved in, lots of red, lots of floral curtains.

And here's how it looks now, from the same angle.

View from the fireplace.

We stayed budget friendly by incorporating a lot of things that Melissa already owned like her apothecary jars and candle holders.

Picture of Melissa's parents, along with a bowl full of ceramic number balls representing Melissa's wedding date and state she was marrried, AZ of course. This moss bowl was probably one of my favorite finds for her room, it's from Home Goods.

Love it! Some of these pictures are by me, some by Melissa. Thanks Melissa!

DIY Art for the Kitchen

2011-02-28T13:42:00.003-07:00

I helped a client with the space above her kitchen cabinets over the weekend. This is a tricky space, and brings visions of dusty fake ivy plants to many of us I am sure. We wanted to avoid that.

Here is the end result.

This particular kitchen has quite a bit of height above the cabinets so I wanted to put some artwork up there. I wanted something graphic and modern that would bring in some color; so I came up with this "EAT" sign. This is a quick and cheap project and I loved how it turned out.

Start with a piece of plywood. You can pick it up at Home Depot or Lowes, and they'll cut it to any size you want. This one is about 20x35 and I had it left over from another project.

You'll also need to print out whatever image you want to transfer onto the plywood. I typed "EAT" in a Word document in font size 600; each letter took up a full page. The font is "Fiesta" and you can download it free here. I also printed out the fork and spoon image which you can download here.

Next prime your plywood with white paint primer using a roller. This step isn't completely necessary, but I did it to make sure my green paint would be saturated enough.

Confession: I was going to have a nice styled picture for each of the remaining steps like a good blogger - but I ended up frantically finishing it at about 11:00 at night with no time or patience for pictures. This is how I do most of my projects. Whoops.

After your primer dries, apply two coates with a roller of your desired color. I used Olive Marinade by Valspar.

Allow paint to dry. Then, using graphite paper - trace your printed image onto the wood with a pencil. Lay the graphite paper, graphite side down, on the wood. Line up your printed images and place over the graphite paper. Trace the outline of each letter, and the fork and spoon, with a pencil.

Finally, fill in your traced outline with a paint pen. This is the easiest part. I'm not too steady with a paint brush, and so paint pens to the rescue. I picked mine up at Michael's.

And you're done! Really cheap, pretty easy.

Pillow Combo

2011-02-21T11:11:00.002-07:00

So excited for this pillow combo I put together for our client Melissa's room. The green pillow cover is from Ikea (only $6.00!). The gray pillow will be made with Chipper fabric which seems to be popping up everywhere lately. I found it a few weeks ago at Home Fabrics (if you're local it's on Stapley and Baseline) for only $6 bucks a yard. You can also get it online here for $9.99 a yard. The blue pillow is from Cost Plus World Market ($19.99).

Melissa found the green damask fabric that we're going to use for her window seat. This room is almost done and it's looking so great! Can't wait to show it to you.

Here are some examples of the chipper fabric in action.

Caitlin Wilson Design

Domestic Adventure

Holly Mathis Interiors

Guest Room Makeover in One Day

2011-02-18T08:18:00.003-07:00

A couple weekends ago my mom decided she wanted to turn my brother's old bedroom into a guest room. So I went over to her house, we hit up some shops, and decided to do it all in one day. We're impatient like that.

Here's the scary boy-dungeon before picture.

After.

We loved the bold graphic floral print of this cute pillow we found at TJ Maxx - we pulled all the colors for the room from this.

We brought this table in from another room and added some new accessories mixed with some things my mom already had.

And voila! A one day makeover.

New at Cost Plus

2011-02-17T08:05:00.002-07:00

I went to Cost Plus World Market the other day and totally died when I saw their new Aiden furniture collection. So industrial chic and different than what they usually carry. Love, love, love.

And the coffee table looks almost exactly like the one in Emerson's home that I just posted!

Bathroom Makeover

2011-02-07T10:05:00.002-07:00

This is my little downstairs powder room/half-bath. And those are my legs, standing on a toilet, because rooms the size of a closet are hard to take pictures of.

Last year, while my husband was away camping I got bored. When I'm bored I do weird things like rip out this bathroom vanity by myself, and drag it into the backyard. Only to discover a big ugly hole behind the vanity.

Well it's a few months later and we finally have a functioning bathroom again. Here are my tips for you.

Do not think you can remodel a bathroom in a week, no matter how small it is.
Do not think you and your husband can put in a pedestal sink, because you can't. You will discover this after watching YouTube videos of pedestal sink installations, receive your reality check, and then you will call a plumber.
Do not paint your bathroom the night before the plumber comes with a color that you chose really fast and in a panic, because you won't like it. Then you will have to re-paint AFTER the sink is in. And that's hella annoying.
Do not think, "Well I've never done it before, but I'm sure caulking baseboards is really easy and no big deal. Doo da doo." Because you'll be wrong.

And here she be: much prettier, but still hard to take pictures of.

I framed this little Henri Rousseau painting from an old art calendar I had. Zach thinks he's creepy, I think he's very dapper.

Emerson Made House

2011-01-27T08:50:00.002-07:00

You're probably familiar with the cute shop Emerson Made. Well Emerson and her husband Ryan had their home featured in The Nest Magazine; and it's pretty much amazing.

all photos via Sweet Paul

Recent Inspiration

2011-01-24T15:41:00.003-07:00

Here are some rooms I have added to my inspiration file recently.

Love the bedside sconces.
via Country Living

via Style at Home

Polka dot wallpaper, yes please.
via Design Sponge

via Urban Grace

Chic finds at JCPenney

2011-01-13T16:34:00.002-07:00

Surprisingly these babies are all from JCPenney. Yay for affordable things that aren't ugly!

1. Metal Floor Lamp

2. Cindy Crawford Table Lamp

3. Horizon Oil Painting

4. Megan Print Chair (comes in lots of cute options)

5. Metal and Glass Sofa Table

Peter Fallico

2011-01-11T11:46:00.003-07:00

Sometimes I feel like Canadian HGTV has way better designers and shows than the US channel (i.e. Sarah Richardson and Samantha Pynn). Peter Fallico is a designer in Toronto and here is an amazing house he renovated for Canadian HGTV show, "Home to Flip".

The EDLAND

2011-01-10T11:26:00.005-07:00

I was at IKEA this weekend picking up a few things for a client. I stopped by the As Is section and saw an EDLAND dresser in pretty much perfect condition. Regularly $199, on sale for $125.

As you may know, IKEA's As Is section is a bit of a war zone. I quickly marked my territory by parking my cart right next to the dresser and setting my purse on top of it. As I waited for a text from my client to see if she wanted it I was accosted by fellow shoppers eyeing my dresser. Several of which did not hide their annoyance that I was stubbornly refusing to move. The good news is, the dresser was eventually mine.

Here are some other things we have in store for this room.

Possible art wall arrangement

Rug

Inspiraton from BH&G

2011-01-07T13:04:00.002-07:00

Loving these rooms from a house featured in the newest Better Homes and Gardens, especially that dining room.

Craigslist

2011-01-06T10:04:00.002-07:00

After a short holiday break, I am back to doing my weekly Craigslist treasure hunts over at I Heart Mesa. Here are my finds for this week!

Closet Love

2011-01-05T09:04:00.003-07:00

Today's closet love is from a blog I just discovered Russet Street Reno. Her master closet redo is amazing!

My favorite shot of course is the one featuring her cat chillin' in the background.

DIY Trellis Mirror

2011-01-04T08:05:00.004-07:00

One of my readers, Anne, was inspired by this picture from my post back in September.

She decided to make a similar mirror to hang above her sofa.

Head on over to her blog for details on how she did it. Great job Anne!

New at West Elm

2011-01-03T08:19:00.003-07:00

Hello! I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I love the fresh start feeling of the New Year.

Speaking of new, I am drooling over all the new arrivals at West Elm.

Topiaries

2010-12-15T15:09:00.001-07:00

I've decided my front door needs a couple of topiaries. Also wouldn't hurt if I had those charming steps and yellow door.

Source: Odi et Amo

Fireplaces

2010-12-13T10:53:00.003-07:00

I've had fireplaces on the brain. A client's room we are working on has one, and the holidays always makes me wish I had one at my house.

Here's some mantle inspiration I've been gathering today.

1 - Caitlin Wilson Design; 2,3,4,5 - Decorpad; 6 - xJavierx's Flickr Photostream

Items for Sale

2010-12-07T14:27:00.002-07:00

I've been cleaning out my closets and decided it's time to let go of a few things. I'll be listing these items on Craigslist today, e-mail me if you're interested in any of them - ericayoung08@gmail.com.

DwellStudio for Target Green and Cream Striped Rug
Size 5x8
Great condition, only used it about a month
$30

Target Reversible Geometric Brown and Cream Rug
Size 4x6
Like new condition, only used it a couple of days
$30

Teal Painted Eagle Lamps (shades included)
$25 ea. or $40 for both

Painted Blue Lamp (shade not included)
$15

A Vintage Poster

2010-12-02T16:38:00.003-07:00

Loving these affordable prints from A Vintage Poster. They're all $14 bucks for size 11x14, and the best part is you can order them in any color. Pop them in a frame for a great Christmas gift!

Closet Love

2010-12-01T16:43:00.002-07:00

Via here

DIY Christmas Article

2010-11-29T09:16:00.003-07:00

My newest article for the Arizona Republic came out on Saturday. I wote about five affordable do-it-yourself Christmas decor projects. Read all the how-to's here!

Joy's Room Board Results

2010-11-24T13:41:00.003-07:00

Back in July I did a room board for Joy's living room.

Here is the room before:

And here is the room board I put together for her:

Well recently she sent me the pictures of the results! She made a few changes, the blue chairs were out of stock - so I suggested chocolate brown leather club chairs. She also had planned on painting the adjoining room a blue-gray, which is why my suggested paint color was green. They changed their mind and decided to paint this room blue; she chose Benjamin Moore's "Quiet Moments". I think everything turned out beautiful!

Great job Joy!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, see you Monday!

Elle Decor at Kohls

2010-11-23T15:10:00.003-07:00

Did you know Elle Decor has a line at Kohls? Well I didn't. I never go to Kohls, but found myself there the other day. Then found myself pretty much drooling over everything in the Elle Decor display. Then found myself staring in disbelief at the 70% OFF sign. 70%! Then found myself sending my mom this text, "OMG Kohls is a goldmine." Oh. em. gee. you guys.

Those tables are regularly $150, right now they're $45. That big white vase is regularly $70, right now it's $21. The chic horse statue? Regularly $60, right now - $18. You get the idea.

Tart House Design : Client's Office

2010-11-22T09:02:00.003-07:00

Here are the before and afters for an office install that my mom and I did over the weekend! We helped this client organize and accessorize her room, integrating some of the things she already owned, including all of her furniture. Because of this, we were able to stick to her budget of $300 for the whole room.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

This client's needs for her office were pretty unique. She works from home; and in the morning while checking her e-mail at her desk, she also does her make-up and hair. So she requires a hybrid office/vanity situation. This was her set-up before we stepped in.

After:

We found this desk at IKEA in the as-is section (even though we couldn't find anything wrong with it) for $50!

In addition to helping her organize her vanity area, we also took on her armoire where she keeps pictures, craft supplies, etc. It was in dire need of an overhaul.

Before:

After:

Just shows what organization, a few new accessories, and some rearranging can do!

DIY Christmas

2010-11-17T13:17:00.005-07:00

My next freelance article for The Arizona Republic will be coming out soon (other two articles here and here). This time my 5 DIY projects are all about Christmas decor. Here's a sneak peak.

Mr. and Mrs.

2010-11-16T11:31:00.004-07:00

My friend Malia is addicted to buying dishes; mixing bowls, glasses, plates - you name it. I've never really shared her enthusiasm until now - I'm obsessed with this Mr. and Mrs. glass set. Wouldn't they make a great wedding present?

New Bookshelf

2010-11-14T22:24:00.004-07:00

This is the sad little bookshelf I had in my office that I've been needing to upgrade.

Well on Saturday my mom and I went to Ikea to shop for a client, and I picked up this little ditty for myself. Went with the tried and true Expedit.

I'm feeling much more organized.

The Garage

2010-11-11T09:06:00.003-07:00

Whenever I talk about sprucing up our garage my husband roles his eyes and says, "It's just a garage."

But look how pretty it could be!

decorpad.com

decorpad.com

marthastewart.com

Room Board - Bathroom

2010-11-10T10:16:00.002-07:00

Here's a little bathroom room board I did recently for a client.

Cherry Branch

2010-11-09T10:46:00.002-07:00

I'm usually not a fan of wall murals, but this cherry branch silhouette over at House Tweaking has changed my opinion. Dana and her husband created it using an overhead projector.

Apparently I've been living under a rock, because I just discovered Dana's blog today after Apartment Therapy posted her house tour. Here are some other great spaces from her home.

Storage Idea

2010-11-08T08:42:00.002-07:00

Loving this stacked crate storage idea from Real Living.

via Poppytalk

Chezerbey

2010-11-05T10:32:00.004-07:00

What I love about architects is they have no shame focusing on the smallest of details when it comes to their home. Which is why I love Chezerbey, "a blog about the adventures of two architects and their 1910 fixer-upper." They've devoted entire posts to things like trash can organization and bar stools.

If this picture of their organized and hidden trash system makes you weak in the knees, we are kindred spirits.

Impressive before and after of their home's exterior:

Beautiful!

Their finished bathroom. Sometimes I am a true minimalist at heart so I'm loving this.

More drool-worthy organization:

Closet Love

2010-11-03T14:14:00.007-07:00

As I've mentioned a few times on this blog, I love closet organization. I love organizing my own closets, I love organizing other people's closets, and most of all I love looking at pictures of organized closets; it soothes me.

So I'll be sharing my pretty closet finds with you every once in awhile. Here's today's Closet Love.

via here

Bad Blogger

2010-11-02T21:05:00.003-07:00

Have you ever had that feeling of being so over-inspired that you're actually left under-inspired? Makes no sense? Well sometimes it's like there is so much great decor stuff out there in the blog world that I feel drained and over-stimulated just from looking at what everyone else is posting, and then I've got no juice left to post on my own blog. Plus, I've been busy. That Halloween candy wasn't going to eat itself.

Enough crazy talk. I'll try to be a better blogger. And if you've e-mailed me and I haven't written back, I'm sorry; I promise to respond soon.

For now, let's look at french doors. Because I have an ugly sliding glass door and I've been dreaming of shattering it with a sledge hammer and replacing it with beautiful french doors.

All photos via Decorpad

Craigslist

2010-10-21T12:25:00.004-07:00

My next post is up over at I Heart Mesa featuring local Craigslist finds!

I almost snatched this chair up for myself, it's screaming to be painted and recovered. The swirl detail is killing me.

Family Circle

2010-10-20T12:47:00.004-07:00

No new posts for over a week!? Who's running this blog anyway?

My co-worker gave me a magazine today that I've never read, Family Circle. Well turns out they have some great design articles.

I grabbed these colorful images off their website.

Octopus Decor

2010-10-11T08:52:00.002-07:00

What is the plural form of octopus? Octopuses? Octopi?

Shower curtain

Salad Plate

Entryway

Shelf decor

Art

Pillow

Glass octopus

Desk Top Redo

2010-10-07T11:02:00.003-07:00

I've started to spruce up my guest room. I decided when decorating this room, to limit myself to only using the things I already have. More details on that challenge later when I post my finished (and free!) guest room, but for now here's one of the projects I did for the room.

Remember, I'm not using anything I don't already own. The problem was I needed some large scale art, and didn't have any. So instead, I pulled out this IKEA desk that has been collecting dust for awhile.

First, I unscrewed the legs leaving only the table top - which was going to be my "canvas". Next I printed out several butterflies from the free images available at Vintageprintable.com.

I printed out the butterflies in various sizes on regular ol' printer paper and cut them out. I adhered the butterflies to the desk top using Mod Podge. Then I simply attached wire to the back of the desk top and hung. Free art!

Guest Blogging

2010-10-07T10:06:00.004-07:00

I am doing a new weekly feature over at I Heart Mesa! Every Thursday I'll be posting my favorite local Craigslist finds, check out my first post.

Unrelated

2010-10-05T11:14:00.002-07:00

Here are some random things I've got my eye on.

Liking these headboard ideas from Sunset Magazine. Especially that trellis mirror, seems like it could be a DIY project. Maybe with some wooden garden trellis from Home Depot and a big mirror? Or paint a mirror with a trellis stencil?

Loving this oversized horse photo. Thinking about getting a photo enlarged at Kinkos, cutting it in thirds, and framing it in IKEA frames for the same look.

via Decorpad

Love the idea of simple floating shelves hung above a toilet.

via Decorpad

I Heart Mesa

2010-10-01T22:05:00.004-07:00

Check out our little sponsored post over at I Heart Mesa today! I'll be sharing another collaboration with I Heart Mesa next week that I'm so excited about!

DIY Halloween Decor

2010-09-30T08:55:00.002-07:00

I put up my Halloween decorations last weekend, and I'm itching to add some more. Here are a few DIY projects I've gathered from around the net. Don't you love when old people call it "the net"? Silly old people and their AOL accounts.

Friendly ghosts, black and white pumpkins, and spider cut-outs from Country Living

Candy Corn Wreath from Woman's Day

Rhinestone pumpkins from Good Housekeeping

Trick or Treat banner from The Crafting Chicks

Urban Outfitters Print Shop

2010-09-28T09:07:00.004-07:00

Was clicking around on Urban today and discovered they have a new section called the Print Shop. They've teamed up with an artist community called Society6.

From the website:
"Society6 is an International artist community representing more than 70 countries worldwide. We will continuously comb through their enormous archives to bring you this curated collection of our favorites. Any items ordered from the PRINT SHOP will be processed and shipped by Society6."

Pretty good prices for unique artwork, ranging from $25 to $55 depending on the size. Here are some of my faves.

The Elephant

Coney Island Beach

Flower Burst

Natural

Whale

Mountains

Flower Boat

And last but certainly not least:

Meow and Meow

Poufs

2010-09-24T11:41:00.002-07:00

I need a floor pouf. Well I want a floor pouf; because I don't think anyone really needs a floor pouf. Also, I just like saying pouf.

Pouf #1
Pouf #2
Pouf #3
Pouf #4

Room Board

2010-09-23T08:25:00.002-07:00

Here is a client room board I did recently for a family room.

The client requested four ottomans for her "coffee table" that she could then use as seating when she entertained. What a great idea eh?

Kitchen Redo

2010-09-21T08:49:00.002-07:00

Everyone loves a good before and after, enter Paula's kitchen from Two Ellie. Her painted cabinets look amazing, love the color choices! I am impressed and jealous.

Before:

After:

Spray Paint Makeover

2010-09-20T08:19:00.004-07:00

Here is a little project my mom did over the weekend that I think turned out really great.

Here are her dated mirror and sconces before:

Here they are after a few coats of high gloss spray paint:

Rue

2010-09-17T09:42:00.003-07:00

Favorite images from new online magazine Rue. Have a good weekend everyone! Zach and I are attempting some work in our half bath, pray for our marriage.

Placemats

2010-09-16T15:08:00.004-07:00

Love, love these placemats by Simrin.

They're 14"x20", for only $22 bucks - why not frame them for some quick art?

Then build a room around it eh?
Bedding, Lamp, Orange Pillow, Navy Pillow, Curtains

Closet Organization

2010-09-14T13:42:00.003-07:00

One item on my never ending to do list for the house is to install a closet system in our master bedroom closet. It's a pretty good size walk-in, but needs shelving and better space planning to really reach its potential. And maybe a husband that folds his pants instead of throwing them in a bundle on the top shelf.

Loving this closet makeover over at Real Simple.

Stairway Art

2010-09-13T08:49:00.002-07:00

I finally tackled my stairway wall this weekend. I ordered wallpaper samples from Graham and Brown, all in the green family. Their samples are $2.00 each and size 8x10. (Let's not talk about the drywall banister.)

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Yes please.

2010-09-10T09:48:00.002-07:00

In case you were wondering, this is my dream kitchen.

via Caitlin Wilson Style Files

Cat decor?

2010-09-08T18:03:00.002-07:00

I don't know if you are aware, but I am somewhat of a cat enthusiast. My favorites being overweight cats, cats with human names, and of course my own cat. Today I've combined two of my passions, felines and decor. Because that's super normal?

1. Cat Pillow, 2. Cheetah Portrait, 3. Cat Tape Dispenser, 4. Cat Pillow
5. Kitten Ring Holder, 6. Under the Sea Kitty Art, 7. Cat bath Mat

I wonder how many readers I just lost.

Arizona Republic

2010-09-07T08:23:00.003-07:00

My latest DIY article for the Arizona Republic came out on Saturday. Click here!

Look-a-likes

2010-09-02T15:35:00.003-07:00

So, you know how this mirror from Anthropologie is $298?

Well I just happened upon this baby on Craigslist for $40 bucks.

You should buy it, and then reflect upon how awesome I am for finding it for you. Get it? You get it.

Wayne Pate Inspired Room Board

2010-09-01T13:13:00.003-07:00

I'm a big fan of Wayne Pate. This being one of my favorite prints:

I threw together a little room board with my seagull friend being the star of the show.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

The 10 Cent Designer

2010-08-30T14:53:00.002-07:00

I first discovered the 10 Cent Designer, Lori Andrews, on flickr about a year ago; and was totally inspired. Her rooms are bright, modern, and usually have a quirky twist. I realized I have never mentioned her on my blog, what a crime.

These next ones are from her own home.

Links

2010-08-27T10:37:00.002-07:00

I'm feeling a little lazy on this Friday morning, so here are some links I've been loving around the design blog world recently.

Kevin Sharkey's apartment featured on Apartment Therapy, including his unbelievable closet pictured above.

Michelle's cute and budget friendly bathroom makeover. That ceiling is amazing.

Cute and creative tiny birthday party. I am definitely game for anything that gives me an excuse to eat miniature food.

I would never have the patience, but this painted wallpaper is pretty impressive.

And completely not related to design, this video is pretty much my favorite thing that has ever been on the internet, ever.

Entryway Light

2010-08-25T13:54:00.004-07:00

My entryway is in dire need of a new light. The current one is from the previous owner, it's too small and too ugly.

Here are some lights I am eyeing as possibilities to replace it.

Pottery Barn - $199
Maybe a little too rustic for my house.

1 Stop Lighting - $95
I like the shape and the price, but I'm afraid it might look cheap in person.

Home Depot - $229
Pretty, but do I want to spend that much?

Top: Home Depot - $153, Bottom: Lamps Plus - $197

These last two are probably my favorites. I like the Lamps Plus one more, but it is a little smaller than the Home Depot version (pictures are not to scale), and more expensive. Decisons, decisions.

And for good measure, one of my most favorite entryways and entryway lights of all time - the work of Lauren from Pure Style Home.

Room Board : Living Room

2010-08-24T12:35:00.003-07:00

Here is a room board I did recently for a client who had a very large living room to fill.

One of my favorite finds from this room board is the anchor pillow. It's from Bed, Bath, and Beyond; and is only $20!

If you'd like a room board, e-mail me for more info!

Clean

2010-08-23T13:01:00.002-07:00

I'm feeling drawn to really clean and simple rooms lately. Maybe it's because I wish I was still relaxing in a hotel room.

All photos via Remodelista.

Vacation

2010-08-19T14:12:00.002-07:00

I'm off to San Diego for the weekend, see you on Monday!

While we're there, I'm hoping to drag Zach to some decor shops featured in Grace's San Diego Design Guide.

Kitchen Art

2010-08-18T09:55:00.003-07:00

My friend Malia is wanting to make some changes to her kitchen, so today I was browsing some artwork for her - and decided to share my finds with all of you too! All of these prints are affordable and I think would look great in any kitchen.

Culinary World Gift Wrap Sheets - Only $4.50 each, and they're big - 20"x28".

Apple Prints from Vintage Printable - Free!

Metal "Eat" Sign - $30

Food With Thought Print - $8 - $45

Tart House Design : Client's Living Room

2010-08-16T08:24:00.003-07:00

This is a living room my mom and I have been working on for the last few weeks, and over the weekend we did the final install. Our client and her cute little family were such a joy to work with. I love how the room turned out!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:
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Chevron Pillows

2010-08-12T10:29:00.002-07:00

I'm still loving the ever popular chevron trend. The cheapest pillow I've seen is from Twinkle Living for $50 bucks.

Until now my pets:

20" Floor pillows - $35!

17"x17" Toss Pillow - $25!

Bachelorette Pad

2010-08-11T09:22:00.002-07:00

I had fun with this room board for a single lady's studio apartment.

Nurseries

2010-08-09T13:21:00.002-07:00

Loving these two nursery designs that have popped up in the blog world recently. And both were done on a budget!

Penelope's Nursery by Melissa.

James' nursery at The Scoop.

Totally dying over that paint color.

Flower Mirror

2010-08-05T09:50:00.004-07:00

Remember when this mirror was featured in Domino and caused a craze in the design blog world?

It's from High Fashion Home Home and carries a hefty price tag of $599.

Well turns out PB Teen is carrying a similar version now for $169. Not too shabby.

Martha Stewart Storage and Organization at Home Depot

2010-08-04T08:38:00.002-07:00

I was wandering around Home Depot the other day, as I am known to do, and I came upon the Martha Stewart Storage and Organization display. I was really impressed, everything is really affordable (much cheaper than a similar line that Target carries). I think these pieces would look great used just about anywhere; office, entryway, nursery, closet, etc.

Accessorizing

2010-08-03T08:50:00.004-07:00

Over the weekend we helped a client with accessorizing a few of her rooms. It's amazing what a difference just a few well placed items can make.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Probably the best part about this job was our client's cat Benny who followed us from room to room to monitor our work. We are tempted to require all clients provide a feline assistant like Benny henceforth.

Shopping

2010-08-02T09:57:00.002-07:00

Remind us never to shop for four rooms in one day again. Here's my mom and an SUV full of our loot. I think we annoyed many cashiers that day, walking up with two carts full to the brim of stuff for them to wrap and bag.

A much needed chips and salsa and Diet Coke break was taken after this.

Room Board!

2010-07-29T09:26:00.003-07:00

Note - To respect the client that paid for the room board, I won't be sharing a full source list. But if you have a question about an item, send me an e-mail. Thanks!

Real Simple Before and After's

2010-07-28T09:45:00.004-07:00

Who doesn't love a good before and after? Real Simple featured a round up of some of their past before and after's - so I be browsin' them.

DIY Sunburst Mirrors

2010-07-27T10:42:00.003-07:00

These DIY sunburst mirror projects are so creative yet so simple! I totally want to try one of these.

This one started as just a big piece of wood that was cut up, sanded, and stained.

This one uses a cheap round mirror and spray painted wood dowels.

This one requires wood dowels (again), a convex mirror, and mini mosaic mirrors.

These people are geniuses.

Bedroom Change

2010-07-26T10:42:00.002-07:00

I made a little change in the bedroom recently. I've never really liked the arrangement of black frames I had above our dresser.

My mom and I found this canvas art at Home Goods last week, and thought it would make a better statement for that spot. I like it much better.

Projects

2010-07-21T09:20:00.003-07:00

Here are a couple of small projects I worked on recently.

My mom and I arranged a gallery wall at her house over the weekend using frames she already had scattered around the house. The first picture is attempt #1 - too crowded and too square. Picture #2 is our fix. It just shows that arranging frames is not always easy, so don't be afraid to start over to get the look you want.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Here is the before and after of a lamp I decided to makeover. Still thinking about adding some ribbon trim. The fabric is actually from a tablecloth that I got on clearance at Home Goods.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Catalog Inspiration

2010-07-20T10:32:00.003-07:00

I always need new ideas for wall displays. Every room has at least one blank wall to tackle, and it's easy to quickly run out of steam trying to think of something new and interesting to hang. As lame as it sounds, sometimes you can find some great inspiration in store catalogs.

An interesting arrangement of photographs.

Pottery Barn

Hanging shelves in a corner is something I've never done before.

Pottery Barn

Using magazine holders as wall decor is a great idea.

CB2

Love this gallery wall, it shows that you shouldn't be afraid to go big. Notice how the arrangement reaches all the way to the ceiling.

Pottery Barn

A grid arrangement of cork boards is functional and chic.

Crate and Barrel

Studio Envy

2010-07-16T08:00:00.002-07:00

I'm completely in LOVE with Vana's new studio over at Le Papier Studio. It's so beautifully organized, and has such a great color palette. I'm always in search of the perfect gray paint, Vana used "Heavy Goose" by Martha Stewart. I might just have to steal it for my guest room.

Click here for even more photos at Vana's blog.

Spiral

2010-07-15T09:33:00.003-07:00

I think everyone probably has something they want for their home that is really unrealistic and impractical. Like maybe a white sofa, when you have a dog and kids.

For me the one impractical item I've always wanted is a sprial staircase. It's so ridiculous, would look terrible in the home I have now, and is just a very silly thing to want.

But I've always wanted one since I was a little girl! I also thought Geo Storms were cool, but that's neither here nor there. So instead I'll just post these pictures from Apartment Therapy.

Room Board - Bedroom

2010-07-14T09:57:00.002-07:00

A new room board to share with you. Can we talk about how much I love black and white bedding? Well I do.

Note - To respect the client that paid for the room board, I won't be sharing a full source list. But if you have a question about an item, send me an e-mail. Thanks!

Wall Display

2010-07-12T13:29:00.003-07:00

I am loving this idea of a mirror surrounded by artwork or photographs. My mom and I are using a version of this in a client's family room. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Domino

sfgirlbybay

Color Me Friday - Yellow

2010-07-09T10:40:00.002-07:00

Decor Pad

Decor Pad

Decor Pad

Restored Style

Decor Pad

Lonny Magazine

Decor Pad

Random

2010-07-08T11:15:00.003-07:00

Some random things that I am liking.

These numbered pots

This typewriter print

This suzani print

Everything about this room.

These rolling bins.

This mirror.

Mom's Office

2010-07-06T10:21:00.003-07:00

My mom recently turned her "junk room" (we all have one) into a beautiful new office. Here are her before and afters.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Sources:
Black console - Home Goods
Mirrored Lamps - Pier One
Desk - Pier One
Chair - Pier One
White Bookcase - Pier One
Drapes - K-Mart
White Vases - Michaels
Artwork - Home Goods
White frames (next to artwork) - Pier One

Great job mom! I'll be over shortly to steal that chair.

Rugs!

2010-07-02T10:42:00.003-07:00

Finding the right rug can be tough, I'm sharing my favorite sources today - Rug Studio, and Rugs USA. I think they both have a great selection, and way more affordable than a lot of places.

Here are some of my recent faves from Rugs USA.

Surya Seventeen Flirty Collection

Surya Fallon Collection

Surya Cosmo Collection

Surya Seventeen Luxe Collection

Jaipur Rugs - Golden Apricot

Percussion Seafoam Rug

Cayman Blue Rug

Room Board - Living Room

2010-07-01T09:09:00.005-07:00

Just finished this board for a client yesterday. I kind of want all the stuff for myself though.

Note - To respect the client that paid for the room board, I won't be sharing a full source list. But if you have a question about an item, send me an e-mail. Thanks!

Samantha Pynn

2010-06-30T09:27:00.004-07:00

I absolutely love the show Pure Design on HGTV, with host Samantha Pynn. I found her website today, here are some pretty shots from her portfolio:

Tart House Design : Client's Bedroom

2010-06-27T20:03:00.005-07:00

Here are the before and after's from the install we did on Saturday. Disclaimer: I am not a very good photographer and there was not a ton of light in this room.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

My favorite part was the art wall, we used a combination of Vintage Printable art, contact paper, plastic wall flowers from Target that we spray painted, and the canvas art was made by me. I'll share the how-to in another post.

Tart House Design Update

2010-06-25T09:29:00.005-07:00

Our little business endeavor has not crashed and burned yet, and my mom and I are having so much fun! We have both an install, and a new client consultation scheduled for this weekend.

The install is for our client's master bedroom. All her furniture is in place; but she was at a loss on how to accessorize and finish the room. I can't wait to show you the results on Monday.

We offer a variety of services - from a full room design like we did for Heidi; or just giving your room those finishing touches that it needs, like we're doing for our client tomorrow. I've created a link to the services we offer, you can access it by clicking our logo in the left sidebar, or clicking here.

Here we are diligently working for our client, Heidi. Don't you want us to diligently work in your house? :)

House Tour

2010-06-25T09:22:00.002-07:00

I found this house tour while browsing the Style at Home site, and fell in love. That dining room is bananas.

Dining Room

2010-06-24T08:40:00.003-07:00

Here is a design board I put together recently for a client's dining room. She already had a table and chairs.

Her budget was $1,000 for the room and my total came out to about $994.

If you're interested in a design board send me an e-mail gangstas. They're cheap.

Chair Deal

2010-06-23T15:26:00.003-07:00

If you are a regular reader of design blogs you are probably very familiar with the Tolix Chair. I talked about my love for them last year on my other blog, here; where I also complained about how I could not find a Tolix chair for less than $200.

Well today I happened upon this beauty for $99!

A small victory for the cheap-o's like myself. Yay!