Friday Favs

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Get The Look 

 I love this look for dining room chairs, so much so that my client ordered a pair that we thought looked adorable from Overstock. I was so excited to see them in person and so bummed when they arrived. The color looks like a natural creamy white linen online, but in person its more like a dark taupe/purple, so back to Overstock they went.  The nailheads were slightly uneven in some spots, and one of the chairs had a small indent like it didn't have enough stuffing in one spot, but all in all I thought these chairs, aside from being the wrong color, are a great bang for your buck. No joke, they were only $150 each!

Look For Less

A friend of mine sent me an email asking me whether or not I had seen the new Target collection in person, I thought she was referring to the Neiman Marcus holiday collection not knowing about Tarjay's new Modern Cottage Home Decor collection. How did I not know about this? I am sure the quality of the furniture is nowhere near the same as the higher end options but a lot of these pieces remind me of Bungalow 5 and Oomph!

In The Weeds

Lately Mom and I have been completely in the weeds. I am not complaining, being busy is way better than the alternative, but with all the work going on I have had absolutely no time for anything else. We are working on launching a new website which has taken my attention away from the blog, but I am going to try to get back into more frequent posts. For now here is an update on my dog bed dilemma! I had a Pottery Barn gift card that I forgot about left over from Christmas so I decided to spend it on our little man and I purchased this bed

Since I don't looove the PB dog bed cover options I decided to have one made. I wanted to do the Schumacher Chenoncaue fabric but there is no way I am spending that kind of mullah on a dog bed, at least while he is still in puppy phase anyway...  So I settled on the Imperial Trellis, cliché I know, but with so many knock offs out there I figured why not. I found the trellis knock off (is this even legal?) on Spoon Flower and chose to upgrade to the heavy cotton twill fabric so it would be more durable. That bumped up the cost to $32 per yard but still no where near the cost of ordering the real deal. Long story short I think the bed turned out perfectly but I would have been disappointed if I was purchasing the fabric for anything other than a dog bed. 

  Schumacher                             vs.                         Spoonflower 

 Clara did an amazing job at hiding the lines in the fabric with the piping. 

In the end the only thing that matters is a happy puppy dog! 

Friday Favs

Friday Favs: getting the look for less! Who doesn't love saving mullah, especially when you're already spending a boat load on a bathroom renovation? Mom and I fell in love with the Restoration Hardware Odeon Vanity and yesterday while searching for vanities for another client, I stumbled upon one that is a dead ringer for the RH vanity. I absolutely love saving money without sacrificing quality and the overall look. Here are some of the fabulous deals I've found ...

Restoration Odéon Single Vanity Sink $1,995

Amazon Montage Vanity $900

Nierman Weeks Danieli Chandelier $8,710

Shades of Light Crystal Beaded Crown Chandelier $999

Waterworks Julie Bridge Faucet $1,447

Victorian Gooseneck Faucet $197

Sprucing Up The Patio

I have been looking for some good outdoor furniture pieces for client's and I had no idea how expensive outdoor furniture can be! Not just Restoration Hardware and Frontgate, but even Home Depot has pricey pieces, sets they don't even have in the store. How can I tell a client to spend $5,000 on outdoor furniture that neither of us have ever sat in? Hi I am here to return 16 large boxes of patio chairs because they are not as comfortable as I thought they would be? At least Restoration Hardware has the stuff for you to test drive, but anyway, here are some great sets we found at great prices.  

Amazon $1,299

Target $999

Target on Sale $999 for the set!

 Target $1,358

Ikea $950

Target $999

The Look For Less

My best girlfriend is in the process of moving into her very own place, and asked me for suggestions of places to look for inexpensive furniture aside from the obvious Ikea. I know I have talked about various look for less options before, but recently I stumbled upon some really really cute ideas I thought I would share! 

I know some people think birds are for old ladies, but I love this flippin headboard. 

$499 for the Queen sized Grace Headboard at Z Gallerie. 

Check out that detail! 

Z Gallerie $899 

Clear Ghost Armchair $149 with free shipping on Amazon

Zinc side tables at Home Decorators for $199 

They even have a 42" round dining room table version for $599! 

Joussard Beige Linen Club Chair $769.39 for a pair on Overstock

Get The Look

I have to admit one of my favorite things in the apartment is our random dining room chandelier. When I first brought it home the Mr. said "That looks like an animal cage not a chandelier." I thought he would be proud of me for finding something that wasn't overly feminine but it wasn't until the fixture was hung that he trusted my judgement. Unique and inexpensive quality lighting is hard to find so I was surprised to see our chandelier at Sears! Ahh the internet, chandeliers and chainsaws all in one shopping cart, what more could a family need?

Zentique Dome Light $220 at Sears 

I love this Neirman Weeks Tissage chandelier, but not the $7,120 price tag

The Uttermost Majesty Nierman Weeks look-a-like Chandelier at Sears $1,117.30
(btw how random is the  $1,117.30 sale price?!)

Get The Look

A lot of my clients rip out a favorite living room or kitchen picture from magazines to show me the look they are going for in their own homes. Whether the budget allows for all new furniture, or a just a few new pieces mixed in with the old, not everyone can successfully pull together a room from a picture without help, so how do you achieve the Veranda Magazine look with an Ikea budget?

The  lovely and talented Kelley Proxmire's room in the DC Design House 

Our approach with a $2,000 Budget 

1. Suzanne Kasler Poste Carte prints from Ballard $159 each.

2. Ikea Ektrop Love seat in white $379

3. Ikea Ektrop Bromma Footstool in Svanby Brown $149

4. Ballard Designs Atoll Mirror $199-$299

5. Sears Amelie Slipper Chair $360

6. Benjamin Moore Night Horizon 2134-10

1. Throw $285 shop.cococozy.com 

2. Fabric for Pillows Scramble in Chocolate $28.99 per yard at Calico Corners 

Left: Horchow John Richard Chandelier $725

Right: Overstock.com Fabric Shade 3-light Crystal Chandelier $115.99

The Look for Less

Any designer can make a home beautiful with a large budget, but how do you achieve the look on a limited budget without sacrificing looks and quality? With stores like Ikea, and my personal fav HomeGoods, its easy to furnish a home with a limited budget. I love a good bargain but I hate the idea of clients buying furniture that they do not love just to complete a room. I would so much rather see a blank wall in a family room, than a generic $149 Bed Bath and Beyond print of flowers or Venice. I know its hard and everyone wants their house done yesterday, but a house is never completely finished. The difference between buying three Ektrop pieces and a coffee table from HomeGoods to complete the living room, vs scouring the internet for affordable designer looking items, is what most people have trouble with. Here are a few of my favorite online finds to get the look for less. 

Oly Pipa Side Table $1,700

Wisteria Ceramic Stool $289

Amazon $249.99

World Market $179.99

West Elm $299

Home Decorators $179

Aidan Gray $1,500

Ballard Laurenza 12 Light Chandelier $699

Horchow $760

Wisteria $279

Oly Studios $2,500

Noir $830