Monday, September 23, 2013

Aloft Frisco

Happy Monday all. I've been gone for a couple weeks (obviously) due to an unforeseen medical time-out and a very foreseen trip to Dallas.....Which brings us to today's post:
I've always been a fan of the Aloft Hotels style. They are modern, with fun pops of colors. We were recently house hunting in Dallas, Tx (yes, I said house hunting...in DALLAS, TX..more on that soon) and  the Aloft in Frisco, Tx became my new favorite. Check it out for yourself:






I'm so obsessed, I can't stand it. 
The color usage is fearless, but still so pulled together because of the clean lines in the furniture. The rooms are furnished in a contemporary style with high ceilings. The room layouts are unique, in that there are typically two beds along an entirely upholstered wall, that face a wall of windows, with a television in the center. The bathrooms were spa-like, with rain shower heads, and contemporary fixtures. The "remix lounge" is a fun space for everyone to lounge in together, with a comfortable yet modern feel, and a fantastic bar. Such an inspiring space.
Now onto my coffee...this girls got things to do.
How about you guys? Any favorite hotel styles?


Monday, September 9, 2013

My Top 6 Most Popular Posts....

My top 6 most popular posts...
E-Design: How it Works
Where I explain what I do for a living...
Where I show you how to make a Starburst Mirror...
When I showed you how to update an Ikea Expedit for only $2...
Where I inexplicably tell you to make a planter out of a plastic elephant...
When I showed you how to add some fun stripes to your hallway...
When I painted our office peacock blue...
What's your favorite? I'd love to know!






Tuesday, September 3, 2013

I apologize now for this very long post, but what can I say I like to hear myself talk...or type I guess.

When I first spoke with my newest client, I was a little worried about the challenges that lay ahead of us in her newly finished basement family room. She requested burgundy and hunter green, which are not usually my go-to colors. She wanted a cozy room to watch movies in, enjoy an adult beverage, but that her teenagers could hang out in too, with possibly a place for them to do homework. After over a week, we've found a few key pieces (since this space was previously unfinished, they needed everything), and I think we're getting there. 
This chocolate brown sectional is from West Elm, and the dark color really cozies up the space. It's microfiber which cleans up easily, and will hide their chocolate labs dark hair easily.
I decided to veto the coffee table and go with two small green ottomans in front of the sectional. It brings in that green color she loves, adds even more coziness, and makes for a comfortable spot to throw your feet up. 

There is really no room in the space for a full office area. This extra long desk, will fit perfectly however behind the sofa, and can easily sit two. 
I didn't want the view to be hampered, so adding two of these amazing industrial stools instead of traditional desk chairs, gives more leg room without blocking the view in the room. Her husband is so obsessed with these stools, he is requesting they order 4 more for their upstairs kitchen island, so I guess that's a point for me.
She wanted lots of seating, so I added two of my favorite Kendall chairs from World Market. I thought the lighter color would lighten up the room a little, and it is similar to the wall color in the room, so it wont take away from the space. 
I have been hoping to use this brass drum table in a space, so when she said she loved aged brass, I knew instantly I wanted to work this table in.
This simple brass cube sculpture, adds so much dimension and fun to a space. 
We are planning to order two of these dark Parsons bookcases to flank the television. They will add some storage (add baskets and boxes to them and you get instant storage), plus a ton of display space. It doesn't hurt that the wood tone in these bookcases, are a perfect match to the base of the sectional.
The shorter version will be ordered as well, to sit underneath where the television is mounted.
To add a little glam to this space, I found a few gold pieces (both the sunburst mirror, and faux deer head) that will reflect the gold in the drum table and sculpture.
I thought the mirror and deer head could be really fun mixed in the gallery wall, my client suggested, with these more industrial/weathered style frames, that I think look fantastic with the desk behind the sofa.
Since they wanted a spot to serve their "adult beverages" as she puts it, I found this fantastic small- scale (this room didn't have room for a full bar) bar cart, that I think will really look beautiful displaying all of their bar ware. The metal wheels reflect the industrial stools that are behind the sofa perfectly, and bring some cohesion to the space.
As for the burgundy, I'm hoping to bring that in, along with more of that beautiful green on the ottomans through soft-scaping, such as; pillows, and window coverings, along with the beautiful accessories I plan to fill those bookcases with....Here's just a taste of what we've found so far:




So that's where we are now, but we have a long way to go. 
How about you guys? How do you face new decorating challenges? Do tell..













Thursday, August 29, 2013

Industrial Design...Let's discuss it. I have a new client/old friend that loves this style, which is so beyond exciting for me because as much as I love my other clients and friends, this would be way out of their comfort zone....but not mine. Industrial design has a reputation for coming off cold with hard lines, but it doesn't have to. If done right, industrial design can be and should be as warm and inviting as any other space. It's tricky though. Adding texture is a must. This can be tough, but any soft-scaping you do can bring in texture. I begged the two of them to bring in some color in the draperies and pillows, but they stuck to their guns (which I admire and love) and we kept it in the neutral family.
Here's a few of our favorite pieces, that we can't wait to bring into my client's bonus room:
These bookcases actually go with the television stand below (it looks like it's a completely different wood tone and metal tone in this picture for some reason than it really is). This bookcase is begging for baskets filled with the family's board games, and pictures galore.
This was the first piece we picked out, and it will hold their television and all of it's ugly components.
Look at this perfect table and pair of bar stools for an industrial chic space. A great place to drink a beer and watch others play pool. 
This picture does absolutely no justice to this amazing sofa. It's definitely a splurge for the couple, but we all immediately gravitated towards it in the store, and I know it will be a conversation piece for years to come. And I promise for movie watching purposes, it's amazingly comfortable. I literally had to get help to get out of it, after sinking my booty in there. 
This piece is one of my hubby's favorites, and definitely gives off that industrial vibe. 

Like I said before, they really wanted to keep the room neutral and cozy. Cozy, I'm good at. Neutral? Not so much. I'm going to do my best to bring in interest without color, but it will definitely be a new challenge/experience for me. I think these faux fur throws, will add the depth and texture this hard space needs, and bring in the cozy factor with the impending cooler weather upon us. I'm now searching for some linen window coverings for the space's two big windows, with the hopes that it will add depth to the space. 
They will be using this space as the "everything space," basically a place to watch movies, drink lots of wine, and possibly play pool, if we can find a design friendly pool table (rumor has it Nebraska Furniture Mart has custom ones, so we may have to make a trip there this week). 
They also requested a cowhide rug....which I was pretty excited about. 
I've always loved these. I've heard they are indestructible too. I've heard stories that you can get anything out of them; wine, sauce, blood...ya know, all things that spell partaaaay to me.

So this is where we are right now, but I will keep you updated as the room evolves. 
What about you guys? Do you prefer calm, neutral spaces, or more lively bright spaces? And what about industrial design? Too cold and modern, or totally hip and fun?




Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A little fall on this ridiculously hot day...

One of my favorite treats as a child was my mom's no-bake chocolate cookies...yes we've all had them...and yes we all know their delicious; so when I came across this recipes for no-bake pumpkin spice cookies, a little yelp may have escaped my mouth:
Ingredients:
1.5  Cups  White Sugar
.5    Cups   Brown Sugar
.75  Cups   Butter
.66  Cups   Milk
3.5  Cups   Quick Cooking Oats
1     Tsp     Pumpkin Pie Spice
1     Tsp    Vanilla Extract
1 Box Instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding Mix
I couldn't find this at my local grocery store...just to describe how small our local grocery store is, they also ran out of bread that day....like all types of bread, so I substituted the pumpkins spice pudding mix with vanilla pudding mix and 1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice.

Directions:
In a saucepan, combine sugars, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the pudding mix, stirring to combine completely. Add in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and oats. Stir to combine and let stand 5 minutes. Drop by spoonful on wax paper, and let them dry. These do take a little longer to dry than the traditional chocolate ones, but they are so worth it.

Now go, make them, and don't tell anyone you are because then you can eat them all by yourself.