Product + Inspiration: Metallic Contact Paper

June 16, 2016

I think this post is really going to spark your creativity because the product is inexpensive and the ideas for its use are endless.

I’ve used contact paper forever to line drawers, cabinets and even to line decorative trays. Over the years, contact paper has evolved and now comes in beautiful designs, pretty patterns and decor-friendly looks. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I became away that contact paper now comes in metallic finishes. Gold, silver, pewter and brass to be exact.

Armed with this knowledge, my creative wheels started spinning and I went looking for design inspiration. Here’s just a few of the contact paper projects I spotted on Pinterest.

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To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail. ~Giorgio Armani.

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How gorgeous is this gold striped ceiling created by Grace at A Storied Style? So much easier than paint and a whole lot quicker to apply too! You can see the entire space here.

Just imagine all of the Ikea items you can transform using metallic contact paper. These shelves are stunning wrapped in copper.

image via Ikea

Jenny from Little Green Notebook gave a plain lampshade real style by lining the inside with silver metallic paper. #projectlist She walks you through the entire process on her blog.

I spotted this cute bathroom on Apartment Therapy and was surprised to see the dots are made from contact paper. You can see more project using decorative contact paper here.

This idea is brilliant! Let’s say you own a rental property with dated appliances or your appliances only have a bit of life left in them but you want to update the look of your kitchen. Cover the surface with faux stainless contact paper like Julie Blanner did.

Here’s another great use of metallic contact paper–a temporary backsplash in the kitchen. You won’t believe these countertops are done with contact paper.

If you’re thinking contact paper is just for basic projects, this gem mirror from A Beautiful Mess proves you wrong. #stunning

So whose ready to go shopping for metallic contact paper? Art stores like Dick Blick carry some metallic papers but I found the best source to be Amazon. They carry all of the metallic finishes and the prices are better than most stores.

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Metallic Contact Paper

Metal FX Brushed Gold Contact Paper //Metal FX Stainless Silver Contact Paper

Metal FX Stainless Pewter Contact Paper //Metal FX Copper Contact Paper

If you’re looking for other decorative contact papers, Amazon carries lots of designs and you can also find them on the Contact Brand website. While you’re there, check out their project gallery for a load of ides using all the contact brand products. Here’s some of my top picks for designer looks…

I’ve definitely got a few contact paper DIY projects I just added to my to-do list.

If you’ve used contact paper in a creative way, I’d love to know what you did and even better…send me a pic.

Budget Decorating: Basket Decor

June 9, 2016

If there’s one thing you are guaranteed to find in any thrift store you shop at, it’s baskets. There is always a wide array of shapes, sizes and designs to choose from and for just a few dollars you can buy a great decorative accessory for your home. When it comes to decorating with baskets, they are one of the more budget friendly design elements you can incorporate into your home.

BASKET DECOR

Large baskets can be customized with a light kit and turned into stylish lighting. African baskets are ideal for this project because of the beautiful colors and designs they boost. Here’s a great DIY basket light tutorial.

With a collection of flat baskets you can create a really stunning and impactful wall statement. Combine different textures and weave designs to create lots of visual impact.

{it’s easy to paint baskets to create a colorful mix}

UpStyle plain storage baskets using paint and use them to hold item all around your house.

Let these beautiful painted pieces inspire you…

{painted basket DIY here}

During spring and summer, baskets can be used to hold floral stems or branches to add an organic touch to your decor.

Lidded baskets can be stacked to create a unique side table and give your added storage.

Place houseplants in baskets so they blend effortlessly into your decor.

I use baskets all over my house for both storage and as a design statement and consider them one of my essential decorative accessories.

The next time you go thrifting you might want to take another spin down the basket aisle.

image source: 1) Lonny 2) unknown 3) hgtv 4) Natalie Fuglestveit Interior Designs 5) Completely Coastal 6) Tracery Interiors 7) Far & Wide 8) The Inspired Room 9) Completely Coastal 10) BHG 11) Top This Top That

Product + Inspiration: Cloth Napkin Pillow Covers

May 26, 2016

When we purchased our first home in Seattle years ago we didn’t have a lot of money to spend on decorating it. One day when walking through a department store I picked up a pack of cloth dinner napkins that were on clearance. The pattern was what caught my attention at first but as I opened the napkins up, I remember thinking that they would make great pillow covers. Fast forward to today and cloth napkin pillow covers are still one of my ‘design on a dime’ decorating tips.

If you’ve never thought about using cloth napkins to make pillow covers, let me tell you why it’s a good idea:

♦ Most cloth napkins are sized perfectly for pillows–18″ x 18″ or 20″ x 20″ which means standard pillow inserts will fit.

♦ Cloth napkins are already hemmed so there is no cutting on your part.

♦ Cloth napkins are inexpensive so you can make seasonal pillow changes without breaking the bank.

♦ Many big box stores (Pottery Barn, World Market, Target) sell napkins in the same prints that they sell in their pillow collection so you can have the same look for a fraction of the price.

♦ Napkin pillow covers are simple to sew or you can use fabric glue to make the pillow covers if you don’t have a sewing machine or don’t know how to sew.

♦ You can add decorative trim to your napkin pillow covers to UpStyle the look even more.

Now let’s get to the inspiration part of the post and check out some pillow covers made using cloth napkin…

View From The Fridge

Censational Girl

Southern Lady

Pretty cool idea don’t you think?

I did a little shopping for you and rounded up a few of my favorite napkin designs that I think would make beautiful pillows. Let’s go shopping…

CLOTH NAPKIN PILLOW COVERS

top--WORLD MARKET: Anita Napkin // Succulent Napkin // Pink Pip Floral Napkin // Foil Geometric Sheila Napkins

middle--Anthropologies: Caicos Napkin // Fellina Napkin–orange // Fellina Napkin–blue

bottom--TARGET: Dot Napkin // Geometric Decorative Napkin // Indigo Print Napkins

The long weekend ahead is the perfect time to whip up a few napkin pillow covers. Happy crafting!

Favorite Posts, Pins and Products Of The Week

May 6, 2016

Hi friends. I’m changing things up a bit and bringing you my Favorite Things post a day early. I’ve got some great inspiration for you today along, things to add to your shopping list and a couple of projects you might want to try this weekend. And if you’re hosting a Kentucky Derby party tomorrow, here’s a quick and easy party decor idea you can whip out tonight. p.s. You can buy plastic horseshoes at Wal-Mart or Party City.

via Every Last Detail

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FAVORITE POSTS

These DIY hot dog and marshmallow roasting sticks are just the cutest. Makes me want to plan a camping trip just so I have an excuse to make a set of my own.

I love all things Eddie Ross and this living flower arrangement he created is just stunning. Check out this video to see how he does it.

If you’ve ever wanted to add a decorative trim to curtain panels, here’s an easy to follow tutorial on the process.

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FAVORITE PINS

I just love dark details in a room. The black bookcases and dark window and door casing really makes a statement in this library space.

via My Domaine

I’m always on the hunt for creative tablescape ideas and since I have a whole box of white tile lying around, I will definitely be making my own tile placemats after seeing this tablescape. Such a fun idea and so many ways you could mix and match patterns.

via 100 Layer Cake

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FAVORITE PRODUCTS

I know every one of you is going to want to run out and buy this stunning gold and white striped magnifying glass especially when I tell you it’s on $10! p.s. If you can’t find it in the store, you can buy it online. Magnifying glasses happen to be one of my favorite things when it comes to decorative accessories.

One of my all-time favorite starburst mirrors is on sale in a big way–50% off thru May 9th.

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I hope everyone has a great weekend. I’m spending tomorrow at the Food-n-Fun Festival being hosted by the non-profit agency I work with. If you have kids and live in the Atlanta area, come out and enjoy some fun, food and sunshine.

Filing the Nook–Decorating Around Your Fireplace

May 5, 2016

DECORATING YOUR FIREPLACE NOOK

Elements of Style

You’ve seen them, those little nooks that sit next to a fireplace and sometimes hold built-in shelving. I’m a big fan of built-in shelving but sometimes builders skimp on the cost and effort of putting them in so a homeowner is left with an empty nook space to fill.

When Ikea came on the scene, bloggers and design enthusiast starting creating custom looking shelving with Billy Bookcases gave them the look of built-in but with a tremendous cost savings.

Laura Ramsey Furniture & Interior Design

Now, if you’re not a DIYer and you don’t want to go to the expense of hiring someone to build bookcases, there are some creative alternatives to filling those nooks that flank your fireplace.

♦ CREATE AN AREA TO SIT AND LOUNGE

I love window seats and this just might be the next best thing, a comfy upholstered banquet. What’s also great about this design option is the wall space that you’d have to hang a beautiful mirror or piece of artwork.

Roses and Rust

♦ ADD FLOATING SHELVES

Floating shelves will afford you the same function as a built-in bookcase but are much easier to install and they have a more organic feel to them. Using reclaimed wood for the shelves is also a great way to add charm to your decor. Ikea has lots of affordable floating shelf options but this one and this one are my favorites.

Blackband Design

♦ CREATE A WORKSPACE IN THE NOOK

Creating a desk or workspace within the nook is a great way to make this area functional. I love the idea of a wall unit that can be closed up and concealed when not in use, enhancing the visual appeal.

Better Homes and Gardens

♦ FILL THE NOOK WITH TABLES & DECOR

You can always fill the nook area with a piece of accent furniture like a demo-lune table, cabinet or console table. This look works great if you style is traditional and you like symmetry in your decor.

Better Homes and Gardens

♦ ANCHOR THE AREA WITH FREE-STANDING BOOKCASES

Free standing bookcases are always an option and provide great flexibility if you like to change-up your decor from time to time. This bookcase/cabinet combo is a great option and I love this glass front option.

Decor Pad

♦ HANG SOME ARTWORK

If wall space is limited in the room where you fireplace is, you might want to leave the nook area free of furniture and use the wall space to hang a collection of artwork.

Country Living

♦ ACCESSORIZE THE NOOK WITH FURNITURE & DECOR

My favorite approach to decorating the nook is to make a creative statement with a combination of furniture, art and decorative accessories.

Prepaganda

If you have bookshelves next to your fireplace or will be adding some to your decor, here are a few styling tips to keep in mind…

♥ Paint the back of your bookshelves to add a color pop and visual interest. Depending on the accessories you use, they might also pop better against a colorful backdrop.

♥ Use an eclectic mix of accessories for visual interest and to add personality to the room.

♥ Create visual depth by placing item front and back along each shelf and use items of different heights to create depth top to bottom.

♥ Arrange books vertically and horizontally to create movement for the eye to follow within the overall arrangement.

image via Dimples and Tangles

The fun part of decorating is to make the most of the space you have and putting your own spin on your decor.

Happy Decorating!

Makeover Madness with Velvet Finishes

May 3, 2016

What do you get when you pair a group of creative bloggers with the Velvet Finishes Paint line?

a Makeover Madness Blog Hop of course!

If you’re coming over from Pursuing Vintage, welcome. Didn’t you just love Kristen’s #makeovermadnessbloghop transformation? I sure did.

If you’re a regular follower of the blog, let me tell you a little about the Makeover Madness Blog Hop. Over the next two days, myself along with 10 other bloggers will be sharing some fantastic furniture and accessory makeovers using paint. Fellow blogger, Kellie Smith of Design Asylum happens to also own a really amazing paint line called Velvet Finishes and she graciously partnered with us and supplied each blogger with paint and products to complete their makeover.

I discovered Velvet Finishes a couple of years ago and painted a small accent table with it. I loved the product and how easy it was to transform my table so for this blog hop, I decided to tackle a couple more small pieces. After looking through the Velvet Finishes colors, I decided on Baroque and Handsome, a beautiful emerald green and a rich cardinal blue.

The first piece I transformed was this pretty umbrella stand that I picked up at an antique store for under $20. I loved the classic lines, the carved spindles on each corner and the brass catch tray. The minute I saw it, I knew it needed a bold color to really make it special.

The first step in painting this piece was to use Velvet Finishes READY to clean and prep the surface. All you have to do is spray READY on, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe it away. Your surface will be clean and ready for paint. I love this stuff!

Next I applied the paint (no priming needed–a big bonus in my book) using a good quality paint brush. One of the things I like most about Velvet Finishes is how smooth the paint goes on and how the brush strokes just disappear as the paint dries. It really makes painting a breeze.

Here’s my umbrella stand after a couple of coats of paint and the addition of a little brass ring handle I added to one side.

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Next I painted a vintage metal cart that I found at a thrift store a couple of years ago for only $8.00. When I originally purchased the piece, it looked like this …

and then I painted it gold.

Since my current color crush is emerald green and blue, I decided to give the cart another makeover using Velvet Finishes Baroque. The cart turned out so great and I am head-over-heels with the piece now. FYI, it took 2 coats of paint to fully cover the gold.

What a transformation!

{wood casters are original to the cart}

{you can find the tutorial for my DIY ice bucket here}

{black glass handles from hobby lobby}

The last piece I painted was an accessory for the bar cart. I found a wine bottle holder at Goodwill for a couple of bucks and painted it in Handsome which matched my other blue accessories perfectly. You can see the bottle holder on the bottom shelf of the bar cart. It’s a simple piece but in a vibrant color, it has so much more style. I may add these brass corner guards later to UpStyle it even more.

I have one more piece I painted using Velvet Finishes but I’ll save that to share with you another day. Also, I wanted to tell you that as a finish coat on my pieces, I used Velvet Finish PROTECT product. PROTECT is a specially formulated, commercial grade, non-yellowing satin polyacrylic which further seals the paint and gives the finish a bit of a shine. It’s just as easy to apply as the paint and dries quickly.

If you’ve never tried Velvet Finishes before, I highly recommend you give it a try. Their claim to fame is… ‘The NO sand, NO prime, NO chalk, NO wax furniture paint formula that will rock your world’ and I have to tell you the paint lives up to those claims in every way. It’s super easy to use and you’ll end up with a really beautiful finish on any piece you paint. I’m thrilled with my transformations.

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Next up on the blog hop is Amy Howard Social. Head over to Amy’s blog and check out her paint project, you’re going to love it.

And don’t forget to stop by the other bloggers on the #makeovermadnessbloghop and follow the hashtag on Instagram:

Tuesday, 5/3

Love Your Abode

Pursuing Vintage

ConfettiStyle

Amy Howard Social

Wife In Progress

Canary Street Crafts

Wednesday, 5/4:

M.Jones Style

Positively Southern

Green With Decor

Chic On A Shoestring Decorating

Seeking Lavender Lane

Disclosure: I received paint and other products from Velvet Finishes for this project. All words and opinions are my own. I only partner with brands I respect and would purchase from myself.

DIY Monogram Notecards–Chinoiserie Style

March 30, 2016

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One of my favorite online stores is Zazzle. I discovered them a few years ago when I was looking for business cards. Boy was I amazed at the enormous offering of card designs and how great the prices were. Since then I’ve bought a variety of paper products from Zazzle including address labels and wrapping paper.

Most recently I ordered some monogram stickers so I could make my own monogram notecards.

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Blue and White Spring Tablescape

March 23, 2016

Don’t you just love spring? The bright colors, beautiful flowers, birds chirping and all that sunshine. Spring is one of my favorite times of year and the season always pushes my creativity to new heights. Over the weekend as I was moving the accessories around, the creative bug hit and I decided to pull together a spring tablescape featuring blue and white.

It’s been a while since I’ve shared seasonal table decor with you so I’m excited to unveil my Blue & White Spring Tablescape!

Blue and white tablescapes have always caught my eye but until recently I never owned enough blue and white decor to create one of my own table setting. Over the last year or so I’ve collected a handful of blue and white porcelain pieces and together with some new items I picked up recently, my spring table was easy to pull together. Let’s take a look…

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