My Christmas Theme for 2015

August 19, 2015

When I shared my Inspiration Notebook at the beginning of the month, one of the things I told you about was my plans to outline my 2015 Christmas decor theme. Well, during one of my sleepless nights recently the vision came it me.

I want to keep our Christmas decor simple this year since we will most likely be going out-of-town for the holiday. I also want to use red as the foundation of the theme since it’s a classic holiday color and just so happens to be my favorite color. And finally I want to include a few designer touches to make the decor special. So are you wondering what the theme for 2016 is….

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Color Crush: Orange and GRAY (or is it Grey)

August 17, 2015

Color Crush: ORANGE + GRAY

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I popped into a few home decor stores over the weekend and after about the third store a color trend started to reveal itself. It’s no surprise that with the coming of fall you’re beginning to see shades of orange in decorative accessories, linens and wall decor but what’s making orange feel fresh is a mix of gray. This quiet neutral has shaken off its bad rap. Gray has not only replaced beige as being the “It” neutral, but grays are now synonymous with style, sophistication and glamour.

Here are my three reasons for loving Orange + Gray…

1) the combination is sophisticated but has a relaxed feel

2) the color combo is gender neutral and can work in just about every room of a home

3) both orange and gray mix well with black, white and neutrals which makes these colors really versatile

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In the bedroom, orange and gray feels luxurious and rich. A charcoal gray with slightly blue undertones lends a feeling of masculinity and the orange keeps the overall feeling energized and modern.

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Don’t be afraid to mix shades of neutral and gray, Greige which can create a really dynamic colors palette for decorating. In this living room, a mix of grey, neutral and orange help to create depth and dimension.

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I think orange and gray is a great color combo for a piece of hand painted furniture–business on the outside and party on the inside

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Natural wood combined with orange and deep gray tones create a warm, rustic feel and the addition of black helps to ground the space and add a layer of dimension.

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I never would have imagined orange and gray in a floral arrangement but the colors are so beautiful together. I’ll definitely be using this color combination for fall decorating.

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Do you have a fall party of the calendar? If so, consider orange and gray as the color palette and if it’s a Halloween party, just add black for a sophisticated twist on spooky decorating.

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Accents of crisp white give orange and medium shades of gray a modern, urban feel

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and when lighter shades of gray are used as accents against a mostly white palette, the feeling is sophisticated and elegant.

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Like white, selecting a gray paint color can be challenging. Here are a few things to consider:

♥ Shades of light gray have become a really popular paint color and is the perfect solution when a bit of color is desired but you still want to maintain a light, airy feel. Many lighter shades of gray actually have a silver undertone which gives the color a bit of sheen under bright lights and adds a subtle glow to a room. Lighter shades of gray will work in every room of the home and are one of my favorite colors for a bedroom, bathroom, home office or ceiling color.

♥ Medium shades of gray will add warmth and richness to a space without making it appear dark and dreary. Medium tones mix well with neutrals, black and wood tones are great to use in larger rooms to crate a cozy feel.

♥ You’ve probably heard the term Greige before and may not have realized what it meant. Greige is a blend of gray and beige creating a warm neutral that is ideal to use in rooms with gold, bronze or brass accents. Greige walls are also a nice alternative to traditional neutrals are ideal for a living room, family room or kitchen.

♥ Deep charcoal grays have a luxurious and elegant feel to them and are stunning when paired with white trim, jewel tones or primary colors. Shades of charcoal are best in rooms that get lots of natural sunlight which will prevent the room from feeling like a cave.

There are lots of opinions on the best gray paint colors but this round-up highlights my favorites:

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And, if you’ve ever wondered whether it’s GReY or GRaY here’s the scoop…

Gray (with an “A”) is the preferred choice in American English.

Grey (with an “E”) is the preferred choice in British English. If you find yourself writing to a British audience in an English newspaper or magazine, grey is the word choice you will want to use.

So when it comes the Orange and Gray, does this color combo get a thumbs up or thumbs down?

DIY Designer Notebooks {and getting a jump on handmade holiday gifts}

August 10, 2015

Hello there! I’m so giddy about my latest diy project and although it’s not revolutionary, it’s the kind of project that puts a big smile on my face.

After spending boat loads of money over the years buying fancy notebooks and journals, I finally decided to get crafty and make my own designer notebooks.

Since I have a deep love for beautiful paper, this project centered around some of my favorite patterns, colors and designs. I used geometric prints, damask patterns, leather and snakeskin designs and of course bright colors were part of the mix.

The snake skin and embossed croco embossed papers below are actually sheets of vinyl that I found on sale at Michaels for .75 cents.

These diy notebooks were super simple to make and required just a few supplies:

* Notebooks–most of the notebooks I covered I found at HomeGoods but I also covered Composition Notebooks which you can find at any office supply store, Wal-Mart or Target for around .50 cents. The mini notebooks came from Ikea (2/$1.00). This Etsy shop also has a great selection of plain kraft notebooks.

* Decorative paper–you can use scrapbook paper, thick wrapping paper, vinyl sheets and even pages from a book. Most of my decorative scrapbook paper came from Micheals.

* Permanent glue tape–I use my Glue Glider Pro which made applying the tape quick and easy–available from Amazon

* Exacto Knife and Scissors

* Blank Labels and Sticker Letters–available at Michaels

How to:

To cover each book, open the notebook, lay it flat and trace the outline of the notebook onto the backside of your paper. Cut the paper with your scissors.

Apply glue tape to the front of the notebook first and adhere your paper to the front cover. Next, apply glue tape to the spine of the notebook and wrap the paper around towards the back.

Apply glue tape to the back cover of the notebook and secure the paper in place. It’s that easy. You can also cover the inside of the front and back cover if you want.

Finally, apply a label to the front of each notebook and add a sticker monogram to personalize it.

As an added detail, I UpStyled the larger notebooks with metal corner protectors.

I’m on a notebook making marathon because halfway through making a few for myself I realized what great handmade Christmas gifts they’d make.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you’re inspired to make your own designer notebooks.

Design Chat with ConfettiStyle–Vol. 2

August 4, 2015

Thanks to everyone who’s submitted a question of the Design Chat series. Keep them coming.

In today’s installment of Design Chat I’m addressing a question from Sheila related to her sectional sofa. Here’s what Sheila asked…

“We have a Large sectional sofa. It has been in the same position for 11 years. I like to rearrange things, this is the first time I have not rearranged!! So I divided it… Much to my husband disapproval . I have one complete couch four seats with arms, and the other part is three seats with a corner. I have them facing each other. I love how it looks! Makes our large living room look cozy, and don’t feel the need to shout to have a conversation. If I could I would attach a picture…. But not sure how on this new device!
What are your thoughts? Thank you in advance.”
Sheila

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Well, based on Sheila’s question and some of the other questions I’ve received, finding the right decorating solution involving a sofa is a big challenge. And when you have a sectional, the challenge can be even greater.

Before I answer Sheila’s question, let me address the pros and cons of a sectional sofa.

PRO: Sectional sofas can be really functional in large rooms when lots of seating is needed, especially for TV viewing. And you can find or order just about any configuration in a sectional that you need so creating a custom layout to fit your space is easy to do.

PRO: Becasue sectional sofas are made up of different sections, it’s easy to move the pieces apart to accommodate guest or a party set-up.

PRO: Sectional sofas are good for small rooms since they can be pushed up against a wall and into corners while keeping the center of the room open.

PRO: Sectional sofas can be less expensive than buying a sofa and multiple chairs to fill a room.

CON: Sectional sofas don’t give you a ton of re-arranging options. If you like to rearrange your furniture often, know that you probably won’t be able to do so with a sectional. It will probably only work ONE WAY due to TV viewing, door openings etc.

CON: If you ever want to re-upholster your sectional it will be considerably more expensive to re-cover vs a traditional sofa.

CON: Picking the right color of fabric for your sectional is key because there is so much fabric making an impact in your room so picking the wrong color could become a major eye-sore.

via Crate and Barrel

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So now to answer Sheila’s question…I think separating your sectional is a great idea! Not only does it create a more intimate seating and conversation area but splitting up the sectional will give your room a less boxy feel and make it feel larger like you noted. Also, splitting up your sectional could allow you to bring in additional side tables which would actually make the area more functional for guest. A few other things to keep in mind…

♦ To maintain the lounge feel that the sectional had when it was all one piece, consider adding an ottoman or footstool so your husband can prop his legs up.

♦ If you have the two sectional pieces flanking a TV or fireplace wall, it will actually create a much more dynamic focal point within the room.

♦ Make sure you have the right size rug under the furniture to anchor the seating area and the room.

♦ You can get creative with the pillows on the two sectional pieces as long as you have a few common pillows on each side.

So Sheila, separating your sectional sofa gets my vote.

Here are a few inspirational photos is case the hubby needs more convincing.

via CB2

via Basset Furniture

via Wayfair

via Domaine Home

Munger Interiors via DecorPad

For more tips on styling your sectional, you can view my sectional design guide post here:

If you have a design question you’d like to me give input on, you can email me at shelly.confettistyle@gmail.com.

Product + Inspiration: Butcher Paper

July 30, 2015

I have had lots of fun sharing these Product + Inspiration post with you and I hope they’ve inspired you to look at products in a new way.
Today I’m sharing one of the most versatile products you can buy and decorate with. It doesn’t involve going to Goodwill or shopping at Ikea, but can be found in the paint aisle at your local hardware store or online from any craft supply shop.

Today I’m sharing decorating inspiration using butcher paper.

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Gift Wrap Inspiration: Washi Tape Ribbon

July 27, 2015

Over the weekend I shared a photo on Instagram of items I’m sending in a care package to a good friend. As I do with all the gifts I give, I wanted to created a special wrap for the gift.

I looked through my wrapping paper stash but didn’t see anything I wanted to use so out came the washi tape and in no time flat I had my box wrapped.

I’ve professed my love of washi tape on the blog before but I have to tell you again, it is one of the best crafting supplies you can own.

The beauty of washi tape is that it can be used in so many different ways and it’s perfect for gift wrapping. To keep things simple, I used the tape instead of ribbon and layered different patterns together to fancy up the box a bit.

I also made a cute gift tag accented with washi tape. I folded lengths of washi tape together to create flags and then angle cut the ends. Using double-sided tape, I attached the washi flags to the gift tap and finished it off with a silk flower.

Happy wrapping!

p.s. the white gift box was part of a box set I purchased from Michael’s. I love that the lids and bottom are separate and that the boxes are thick and sturdy. There are 4 different size boxes in the set and they are on clearance right now at 70% off, so the set only cost me $2.99, less a 20% coupon I had.

Flowers, Friendship and Apples!

July 24, 2015

Hello friends and happy Friday!

I’m popping in late to share what I was up to today. One of my good friends has recently started a boutique catering business and she asked to me create a couple floral arrangements that will be used in her marketing materials for fall and holiday.

I love flowers and creating flower arrangements is something I love to do so I jumped at the opportunity.

The day started with a trip to the wholesale flower market where I was overwhelmed with all the beautiful stems. If the cooler wasn’t so darn cold I could have stayed and played with flowers all day but I had to get busy arranging flowers.

I had a general color theme in mind before I went to the wholesaler so I narrowed in on the stems that would work best for the idea I had in mind.

In addition to flowers and greenery I also had succulents and apples to work with.

The trick to really dynamic flower arrangments is the mix of flowers, the texture, an unexpected pop of color and unique elements like fruit, pinecones, berries etc.

I took me about an hour to make two arrangements and here they are:

The first arrangement is in a vintage brass bowl and really played up the texture within each stem. I snipped the hydrangea at the last minute from a bush to add volume to the arrangement and is you look closely you can see a succulent tucked amongst the flowers. Red and green apples are also part of the mix.

The other flowers used include Ranunculus, Dianthus, Bra Viburnum Berries, Veronica and Dusty Miller.

I love Ranunculus and their fluffy petal added a lot of softness and elegance within the flower mix.

The second arrangement was built on a 3-tiered galvanized metal stand. This type of arrangement would be perfect for a buffet setting or larger banquet table.

What really makes this arrangement special is the succulents. Succulents add so much dimension and to flower arrangments because of their colors and texture.

I tucked a few larger leaves around the edge of the stand and let some of the berries and Veronica drape over the edge.

The red and green apples really add substance and visual impact and the Dianthus (spiky green flower below) adds a touch of whimsy.

My friend Ande and I will be creating more flower arrangments as the holidays near and I’ll be sure to share it all with you here.

I also recommend that you follow Ande’s catering business on Instagram @YumCulinaryGifts to see all of the amazing food, style and graphic images she shares. And if you live in Atlanta and are looking for a caterer for your next event, give Yum Boutique Catering a call.

Have a great weekend!

Design Trend: Floral Rugs

July 23, 2015

Back in the day floral rugs were all the rage. Then the design trends move to geometric designs and then to solid natural fiber rugs. As with all design trends, what goes around comes around and floral rugs are now back in vogue.

Here’s a little flower power inspiration for you…

Design Sponge

Anthropologie

Cocokelley

Abigail Hern

The Found Blog

Decorating with floral rugs can be challenging so keep these tips in mind:

♥ No matter which room you decide to put a floral rug in, keep in mind that the other furniture and decor should be simple, so the patterns don’t compete.

♥ Pick one or two accent colors from the rug and use it around the room in accessories and textiles.

♥ Brighter floral rugs tend to have a more contemporary feel to them while darker floras have a more old-school sophisticated feel–pick a style and color palette that works with your design style

♥ Floral rugs are make great accent rugs in a foyer, bathroom or kitchen so if a small dose of floral feel best, try these areas.

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Now that you’re inspired, here’s a round-up of some of my favorite floral rugs from one of my favorite rug sources, RugsUSA.