Life Lately: A Little Of This and A Little Of That

June 7, 2018

Hi friends. We returned from our vacation a couple of days ago and life has been a whirlwind ever since. I had every intention to hit publish on two new blog posts earlier this week but that didn’t happen. Catching up on work, dealing with a broken garage disposal and mounds of laundry has gotten the best of me. Why is it that when you come back from vacation you feel like you need another one just to unwind.

Things are slowly getting back to normal and I have good things on the blog horizon that I’ll be sharing in the coming weeks.

Today I wanted to pop in a share a bits and pieces of what’s been happening in my world to get you caught up.

VACATION IN PARADISE

The hubs and I went on a Carnival Cruise when we got married 26 years ago and fell in love with cruising. We’ve been on about 12 cruises, all of them on Carnival until our most recent which was on the Norwegian Getaway. The ship sailed out of Miami and our 7 day cruise included a couple days at sea plus stops in Belize, Honduras and Mexico.

We traveled with three other couples that we met 2 years ago on a cruise. We all became instant friends and enjoy cruising together.

I’ll be sharing more about the cruise and the story of how we met our friends next week so stay tuned. I’ve also got a blog post planned where I’ll be sharing my tips for cruising like a pro. I’ve had several readers mention that they will be taking their first cruise this summer so I wanted to share my insider secrets.

So I don’t leave you hanging high and dry regarding the cruise, here are a few photos I snapped during our vacation.

Beautiful Miami…

Somewhere in paradise…

Design inspiration abroad the Norwegian Getaway…

I spent a lot of time in this spot soaking up the sun and living my best life!

DESIGN LIFE

Before I left on the cruise I did an install in a clients’ master bedroom. We’re in the process of transforming the room from rich, earthy colors to soft, sophisticated hues. There are still a few things to do before the room is done but here are a few grainy iPhone pictures of the space so far.

OUT & ABOUT IN ATLANTA

I’ve been spending a lot of time accessory shopping for clients lately. One of my favorite stores in mid-town Atlanta, Bungalow Classics is stocked full of amazing pieces right now. If you live in Atlanta and are looking for unique accessories, furniture or lighting you’ll definitely want to check the store out.

FAMILY LIFE

In really exciting news, my mom will be moving to Atlanta in about a month. She currently lives in Oklahoma so this move is going to be a big change for her. I know she’ll make friends fast and have me taking her to Lenox Mall in no time flat. Her new digs are in a high-rise senior living complex in the heart of Buckhead with amazing views. I’m going to be decorating her unit and will share the plans once I have the all mapped out.

It’s going to be great that now my mom, brother and I will all be living in the same city. That hasn’t happened since I was in high school.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Believe it or not but I’m still decorating and getting settled. We’ve only been in the house for 10 months and I keep reminding myself there’s no need to rush things. I’m a few projects aways from finishing my office and I’m still on the hunt for a living room rug. There’s so much I’m planning to share with you but I’m just not ready with it all yet.

Here’s a sneak peek of the new credenza I bought for my office. It’s a beautiful furniture piece and the price is pretty amazing too!

Lainey Credenza

And a look at the new knobs I purchased from CB2 for our kitchen cabinets. These beauties are under $5.

brushed brass hexagon knob

I’ve also managed to get our dining chairs re-upholstered. The old fabrics was a light green leaf pattern that was on the chairs when we bought the set. I had a hard time picking a new fabric so I played it safe and went with a neutral animal pattern. I love it!

The next two moths are going to be super busy getting my mom settled, attending the Atlanta Gift & Home Furnishings Show and working on a new design project. I’m already thinking about our next vacation and it might have to happen sooner rather and later 🙂

Checking In, Home Decor Inspiration & I’ve Been Nominated

August 11, 2017

Hi friends. It’s been quite on the blog this week so I wanted to check in and let you know what I’ve been up to.

I started getting a sore throat the other day which means a summer cold is coming. I’m drinking lots of tea and desperately trying to fight it off. I want to call my doctor for a prescription but she doesn’t play that. She wants to see you before handing out drugs. She’s an awesome doctor and is doing the right thing but #aintnobobygottimeforthat! So I made a run to the drug store yesterday and loaded up on cold meds.

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I’ve been doing lots of fabric sourcing lately and found these beauties at ADAC. I haven’t landed on the right combo yet so the search continues today.

Things are moving along with the new house. The painters finish today and I’m excited to have the painting done. I love the colors I choose and how fresh and clean the house now looks. I’ll share photos on Instagram later today when I stop by the house so stay tuned.

The hubs and are spending the weekend doing major cleaning and moving some things into the garage storage area. We are finalizing the carpet and flooring this week and plans are for it to be installed next week. Then we’ll officially move in on the 19th and have two weeks to get settled before we go our a much-needed cruise.

wall and ceiling color–BM Whisper // trim–BM Simply White in semi-gloss

When I haven’t been packing, I’ve been spending my evenings trying to nail down the decor plan for the house. Of course I’ve been turning to Pinterest for inspiration and these are the spaces that are inspiring me at the moment.

What appeals to me about this living room decor by Citrine Living is the soothing color palette, black accents and pops of brass. We’re planning on getting a new sofa and right now I’m leaning toward a mid-tone grey. I want to make sure I have lots of flexibility when it comes to accessorizing and a grey and white palette will allow for that.

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I spotted this image from Decoholic and love the texture of the side table, floor pillow, rug and round platter. Since we have a dark wood coffee table using natural fibers, woven pieces and pops of black will work well.

p.s. I’ve been wanting these Ikea woven floor pillows (seen in the photo below) for ages so I’m planning on picking up a couple.

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For the master bedroom, this bedroom decor has me inspired. Our walls are a softer grey than this but I love the feel of this bedroom. I’m considering getting a linen upholstered headboard and using black accent furniture to add depth. I’m going for a sophisticate spa feel.

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And the last thing I’ll share regarding the house is the direction I think we’re going for the stair runners. I’m trying to decide between a patterned carpet and a sisal and I think a sisal might win out. Here are the top two contenders.

Before I sign off, I wanted to share some exciting news with you. ConfettiStyle has been nominated for an Amara Interior Blog Award!

For those of you not familiar with the Amara Interior Blog Awards here’s a little background…

The Amara Interior Blog Awards celebrates and engages with the most authoritative and respected bloggers in the vast interior blogging industry. Believing that bloggers are an integral part of the interior design community, the Amara Team has worked closely with many of these talented individuals over the years and strive to give back to this vibrant community through the awards. A concept first introduced in 2013, the Amara Interior Blog Awards include a series of phases throughout a three-month period from nominations & voting, to shortlisting, and the project culminates in an annual awards ceremony attended by the shortlisted bloggers, sponsors and judges. The expert judging panel have the final say on the winning blogs and each year the panel consists of members of leading organizations and established figures within many interior related fields.

It’s such an honor to be nominated for this award and be amongst a group of very talented interior bloggers. The voting runs through Sept. 15th and I would be thrilled if you would click the image below or head over to the ConfettiStyle nomination page and cast a vote for me.

You can follow the IBA blog for updates on voting as well as for interior design inspiration. #IBA17

I hope you’re having a great week and thanks as always for the stopping by and supporting my blog.

Life Lately In 5 Photos {designing, shopping & reading}

July 24, 2017

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend and were able to stay cool with the summer heat that’s plaguing the country. It was hot as blazes here in Atlanta and I feel like I drank about 10 gallons of water every day just to stay cool and hydrated.

My life has been a fast-moving train the last few weeks and I feel like a juggler with lots of balls in the air. But it’s all good stuff including a little secret I’ll be sharing on Thursday. For now, let me get you up to speed on some of the things that have been going on in my world and keeping me so busy.

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Life lately…

No. 1–This is the beginnings of a design plan that I’ve been working on and one that is very personal to me. The main floor of this home is an open concept with hardwood floors, white walls and a soft grey ceilings. The goal is to create a space that is sophisticated with traditional undertones and pops of color. I’m love where the design plan is going with grey and black as the foundation and a little animal print and brass to jazz things up.

No. 2–This fabric is for furniture for client who wants to spruce up her living room. The client found a sofa she loved at Haverty’s so we went shopping there the other night to pull together the fabric plan. The natural fabric will be used on the sofa and the navy will go on two accent chairs. And the abstract fabric is for pillows for the sofa. The iron side table with black granite top below will sit between the chairs.

p.s. Haverty’s has some nice accent furniture pieces at good prices if you’re doing some decorating.

No. 3–In route to an appointment the other day, I popped into one of my favorite consignment stores. It’s been a while since I’ve been thrifting and the thrill of the hunt hit me the minute I walked in the door. Right off the bat I found these two beautiful urns which were only $7.50 each. This was a major score because the urns are about 14″ tall and are in great condition. I also picked up this pretty brass bowl for $5.00.

No. 4–I’m sure you all have been seeing this bamboo purse on every fashion bloggers blog. I’ve wanted one ever since I first saw it but didn’t want to pay the over $100 price that most people were paying. After a little research, I found a great source on Ebay that sells both the small and the large size. And you won’t believe the price…the small is $32.99 and the medium is $34.99.

I have to tell you that I had never ordered from Ebay before so I was a little nervous about ordering this bag. And because the purse was shipping from China, I was nervous about the quality. The shop and the product had good reviews so I went ahead and placed the order and when it arrived, I jumped for joy. The quality is great and the purse is exactly as described. I love it so much that I just ordered the larger size in black.

p.s. I place my order on July 8th and my package arrived on Saturday, 7/21. Pretty fast coming from China and getting through customs.

No. 5–After an exhausting weekend, I took some time last night to flip through the July issue of BH&G. So many inspiring ideas starting with the cover image. I want those chairs, that coffee table and that ottoman. #ilovebamboo

Those are just a few highlights of my life lately. I’m off to shop for carpeting and then I’ll be back at my desk tackling my mile long to-do list.

I’m wishing you all a fantastic week. I’ll be back here tomorrow with my take on the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale since it’s the talk of the town.

Fabric Shopping (and what it says about home decor trends)

March 17, 2017

I discovered a new fabric warehouse the other day and all I can say is WOW! Before I entered the showroom the customer service rep warned me that there was a lot of fabric behind those doors. Man oh man was she right.

Walking through those doors was like walking in a fabric wonderland. There were rolls of fabric, stacks of fabrics, hanging fabric and more remnant fabrics than the eye could see.

As I walked the aisles, I began to take note of the colors and patterns I was seeing so I’m sharing that with you today.

FABRIC & HOME DECOR TRENDS

MAD FOR PLAID–Large buffalo plaids appear to be a pattern that is gaining in popularity. Where you once just saw classic colors like red, navy and black you’re now seeing plaids in every color and every size scale.

Cotton blend plaids have a more causal feel to them and so I prefer linen blends which have more texture and dimension. Plaid patterns are ideal for window treatments, pillows and furnishings as you’ll see in these inspirational images…

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MELLOW YELLOW–Pantone identified Primrose Yellow as one of the trending colors for 2017 and while I didn’t see a lot of bold yellow fabrics, I did see lots of soft yellow.

Most of the fabrics in the yellow color family were traditional floral or geometric designs perfect for upholstery, drapes of bed linens.

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SHADES OF BLUE–With the popularity of blue and white decor it’s no surprise that there are lots of blue and white fabric patterns on the market right now. I spotted florals and well as more modern geometric and boho inspired designs and the color palette ranged from deep navy to shades of teal.

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FLOWER POWER–Bold floral motifs are a trend that forecasters identified for 2017 and the fabrics I saw supported that. From tiny prints to large oversized designs, feminine florals have a fresh, modern feel.

I love the look of this antique, washed-out floral fabric.

The mum design was bold and had lots of texture and dimension. I could envision this on club chairs or an ottoman.

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BLACK & WHITE--Never will I tire of black and white patterns. Black and white are a classic color combo and pairs well with anything you put with it. The white with black plaid at the top would look great made up in pillows.

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50 SHADES OF GRAY–– Many of you may want to see the grey color trend go away but I think it will be around for a while. Grey is a great way to introduce color into your decor when you don’t want to go all white but want a little color.

I also noticed lots of fabrics that combined grey and soft teal which is always a pretty palette.

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PRETTY IN PINK-The pink fabric aisle was one of my favorites. Instead of looking like fabrics for a baby’s room, the patterns looked modern and updated. The second fabric down was gorgeous and you know I love the animal print.

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I snapped a lot more pictures but the visual eye candy has to end sometimes, right?

Finding the perfect fabric is key to a beautiful space and I’m so glad it’s something I get to do as part of my job.

p.s. I’d love to know which of the fabrics I spotted grabbed your heart!

Happy Friday, friends.

Favorites Of The Week | A little of this and a little of that

March 11, 2017

Between working on projects and dealing with the insurance company after my car was hit, this week has been a bit frenzied. I’m glad to see the weekend and very happy to have a little down time.

Isn’t this basket the cutest? It’s a simple DIY project I spotted on the OKL site and you can recreate it for less than $25 with these tassels and this basket.

It’s a boots and sweater kind of day and I’m off to run errands, attend a blogger meet-up and then its game night at my brothers.

A few favorites from the past week, enjoy!

Diary of a room makeover. So good!

Fill the gap between passion and success.

Five plants that can detoxify your home. I’m headed to the nursery this weekend to pick up one or two.

How to make cut Hydrangeas last longer.

Love these chic fabric DIY’s.

DIY Inspiration: Project Footstools {the Inspiration}

February 9, 2017

A several weeks ago I came across this pair of round footstools at one of my favorite flea markets and snapped them up. Despite the fabric being hideous the bones of the ottomans were in good shape and I knew they would make for a great DIY transformation. Plus I couldn’t pass up the $11 price tag. #thriftscore

My initial vision is to recover the pair in velvet, maybe a pretty emerald green or deep navy. I want a fabric and look that is going to be long-lasting and classic and either of these colors would give me that. I’m also planning to keep the top button tuft detail which I think gives the stools added character.

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This online store has great prices on solid colored velvet by the yard. And I love this quilted velvet.

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After considering velvet for a couple of weeks I went on the search for more inspiration and stumbled upon these images.

This pair of stools is covered in mustard colored leather with a nailhead trim. I like the color but the nail heads are a bit much for me.

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These seafoam colored stools are really pretty but I’m not a pastel girl when it comes to decor and I definitely don’t have time to do all that tufting on the top.

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I love , love Chartreuse as a color and really adore the way it looks on this footstool. The styling of this ottoman is almost identical to mine except the ones I have don’t have feet which I’m now considering after seeing this piece.

Chartreuse is one of those colors that people tend to steer away from but it is a great accent color that mixes well with neutrals and with black.

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Hum…maybe I should consider a Mongolian lambs fur? I love the look but I can just hear my hubby talking about how impractical they would be. My response…sometimes pretty trumps practical.

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Just when I was set on a solid color I saw this velvet beauty! I love the idea of two different patterns and am thinking maybe I could find some vintage fabric at the Roundtop Antiques Market. I also found this source for embroidered velvet fabric.

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Speaking of patterns, a beautiful Kilim or woven leather rug could be a fun way to upholster my footstools. In looking at rug options, I think this idea might cost more than I want to spend.

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If all else fails, I could also cover them in an animal print which is classic, timeless and versatile.

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I’m not sure which direction I’m going to go with the fabric but I’ll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, I’ve got a couple other DIY stools that are sitting in the garage waiting for their makeover.

If these footstools were yours, which fabric and color would you go with?

Design Guide: Shopping For The Perfect Sofa

January 10, 2017

We started looking for a new sofa last year and I couldn’t find I liked. We decided to put our sofa shopping on hold so it gives me the perfect opportunity to share sofa styling tips to help you (and me) find the ideal sofa.

The first and most critical step in picking a sofa is to determine the style of sofa that fits your needs and function as well as your design aesthetic.

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DIY Fabric Gift Tags

November 27, 2016

Because I’m a designer, I have always have a pile of fabric scraps lying around. A few weeks ago I was in the middle of cleaning up my office and preparing for The Art of Gift Wrapping workshop when an idea struck me. Why not makE gift tags out of my fabric scraps?

This is a super easy project that I know you’ll love so continue reading and check out my cute tags.

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