You never know who you're going to inspire today. Sometimes, a comment to a stranger can change their day. These random acts of kindness might give them the encouragement they need to take the next step. Maybe it's a big step, maybe a small one. It might be to dig through the fabric bin and see what you can use to make some fall decor. It may be to start changing your outlook.
Whether you're Nester, encouraging us to love our limitations, or one of the other 31 dayers, helping us improve ourselves, our lives, and our homes this month- you might just be the encouragement someone needs.
If you aren't already, check out all the 31 day posts here.
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
inspiration mood Board: Masculine Contemporary Indigo
One of my friends is designing a condo for a young professional who wants a contemporary masculine condo and loves the color navy.
In brainstorming ideas, I came up with this concept living room for inspiration.
Masculine and streamlined, yet comfortable enough to kick back and watch some TV or play video games. I think of someone who's seen a bit of the world and collected interesting pieces when I think of this young professional, so I threw in a rustic element or two for contrast.
The whole scheme features a navy and chartreuse scheme, with dark wood accents. This client has an urban condo with light wood floors, exposed concrete, and floor to ceiling windows. Dark navy walls ground the space and give a moody vibe, while a concrete coffee table stands up to all the abuse pizza and video games can dish out. Chrome-arm chairs with a navy leather upholstery are slick and masculine, while the charcoal sofa is sure to feature comfy arms fornapping during watching the game. Soft linen panels add an element of privacy to the windows, while the area rug dampens sound and ties the space together.
In brainstorming ideas, I came up with this concept living room for inspiration.
Masculine and streamlined, yet comfortable enough to kick back and watch some TV or play video games. I think of someone who's seen a bit of the world and collected interesting pieces when I think of this young professional, so I threw in a rustic element or two for contrast.
The whole scheme features a navy and chartreuse scheme, with dark wood accents. This client has an urban condo with light wood floors, exposed concrete, and floor to ceiling windows. Dark navy walls ground the space and give a moody vibe, while a concrete coffee table stands up to all the abuse pizza and video games can dish out. Chrome-arm chairs with a navy leather upholstery are slick and masculine, while the charcoal sofa is sure to feature comfy arms for
Friday, August 19, 2011
This Just Pinned
I think I'm FINALLY getting the hang of Pinterest. I was slow at first, but now I'm loving it! It's definitely easier to pin things you see if you install the "Pin It" button, which I just did.
I thought I would share a few of the things I've pinned recently:
![]()
I play Bunco with a group of neighborhood girls once a month and this would be an awesome addition to our Bunco Bag of Goodies!
![]()
I'm in love with the white surround and hearth on this fireplace. I'm definitely making over my fireplace this winter and using it! This would be an awesome addition.
![]()
My Mom has a cross-stitch of this poem that hung in my nursery. Tons of people I know just had babies and are pregnant, so this is a perfect reminder for the new Mommas to cherish their babies while they're small! As my Mom can tell you, they grow WAY too fast! Wouldn't it be great as part of a gallery wall in a nursery?
What have you pinned lately?
I thought I would share a few of the things I've pinned recently:
I play Bunco with a group of neighborhood girls once a month and this would be an awesome addition to our Bunco Bag of Goodies!
I'm in love with the white surround and hearth on this fireplace. I'm definitely making over my fireplace this winter and using it! This would be an awesome addition.
My Mom has a cross-stitch of this poem that hung in my nursery. Tons of people I know just had babies and are pregnant, so this is a perfect reminder for the new Mommas to cherish their babies while they're small! As my Mom can tell you, they grow WAY too fast! Wouldn't it be great as part of a gallery wall in a nursery?
What have you pinned lately?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
E-design: Sissy's Home Office
My Sissy started law school this week. And I am SO stinkin' proud of her. One of the things she needed was a place to study, write papers, and read all those books.
She loves the look of Ballard Designs, so that was the perfect inspiration for her office. We couldn't do it on that kind of budget, of course. Sissy is now a starving student.
It started with an inspiration board and a space plan.
Then, Sissy and Mom went shopping while I had to work.
Here's the office as of now:
I have lots of plans for finishing touches!
She loves the look of Ballard Designs, so that was the perfect inspiration for her office. We couldn't do it on that kind of budget, of course. Sissy is now a starving student.
 |
| Source |
It started with an inspiration board and a space plan.
Then, Sissy and Mom went shopping while I had to work.
Here's the office as of now:
I have lots of plans for finishing touches!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
5 Ways to bring Las Vegas luxury to your bedroom
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Vegas for work (my first time!).
Being a designer, I of course dissected every inch of the room and took a gazillion pictures.
My second morning there, I was sitting watching the sun rise and thought " there's a post here."
So many of us (myself included) look at articles about how to be a better hostess, how to create a great guest room, etc., yet never focus on the room we stay in every day. My guest room is probably the best night's sleep in my entire house, has great towels, lots of toiletries, etc.. My room, well, it's a dumping ground for laundry, halfway finished projects, and part storage shed.
As part of my inspiration to make my master bedroom a more luxurious suite instead of a room with a bed
Here are five things I found that make this room a luxury and not just a place to sleep and take a shower.
1. Use layers of lighting.
You need more than just an overhead. Put a chandelier on a dimmer switch, use multiple lamps, and add recessed cans if possible for a variety of lighting configurations for various tasks.
The room I was in had nightstand lamps, small cans over the bed, and larger cans around the room for general illumination.
2. Be deliberate with your design choices.
Make every piece functional, and be ruthless when enforcing your concept. If grandma's dresser doesn't fit your contemporary spa idea, make it over so it does, or find another spot for it. Every item in the room should serve a purpose. Even accessories should serve a function- adding color, texture, or shine, adding storage, etc.
3.Make yourself a minibar.
It doesn't have to be elaborate- some bottles of water and/ or glasses on a pretty tray, up to a coffee service for that first cup in the morning. If you have the room, a cube refrigerator to keep water cold is always nice. These are often on sale during back to school, and can be found cheaply on Craigslist or at Goodwill right after school gets out for summer.
Studio one thirteen made a coffee bar for her hubby out of pieces she found around the house.
4.Add glitter.
Add a special touch that adds a sparkle, like a mirror to reflect candlelight or an item with special texture and shine. In the Palazzo, that was the glowing onyx top to the dresser. In my bedroom at home, it's my capiz shell lamp.
5.Make the bed a focal point
Most importantly, make your bed the focal point of the room. A dramatic headboard, framing it with curtain panels, or a contrasting accent wall all draw attention to the biggest piece of furniture in the room. Dress it in layers of the best linens your budget can afford. White is always a popular choice since it can easily be cleaned, but dramatic prints like those from Dwell Studio for Target are also popular.
Elements of Style has a whole post on the subject:
Hopefully THESE give you some ideas on how to transform your bedroom in to a suite worthy of Las Vegas luxury.
Being a designer, I of course dissected every inch of the room and took a gazillion pictures.
My second morning there, I was sitting watching the sun rise and thought " there's a post here."
So many of us (myself included) look at articles about how to be a better hostess, how to create a great guest room, etc., yet never focus on the room we stay in every day. My guest room is probably the best night's sleep in my entire house, has great towels, lots of toiletries, etc.. My room, well, it's a dumping ground for laundry, halfway finished projects, and part storage shed.
As part of my inspiration to make my master bedroom a more luxurious suite instead of a room with a bed
Here are five things I found that make this room a luxury and not just a place to sleep and take a shower.
1. Use layers of lighting.
You need more than just an overhead. Put a chandelier on a dimmer switch, use multiple lamps, and add recessed cans if possible for a variety of lighting configurations for various tasks.
The room I was in had nightstand lamps, small cans over the bed, and larger cans around the room for general illumination.
2. Be deliberate with your design choices.
Make every piece functional, and be ruthless when enforcing your concept. If grandma's dresser doesn't fit your contemporary spa idea, make it over so it does, or find another spot for it. Every item in the room should serve a purpose. Even accessories should serve a function- adding color, texture, or shine, adding storage, etc.
3.Make yourself a minibar.
It doesn't have to be elaborate- some bottles of water and/ or glasses on a pretty tray, up to a coffee service for that first cup in the morning. If you have the room, a cube refrigerator to keep water cold is always nice. These are often on sale during back to school, and can be found cheaply on Craigslist or at Goodwill right after school gets out for summer.
Studio one thirteen made a coffee bar for her hubby out of pieces she found around the house.
 |
| source |
4.Add glitter.
Add a special touch that adds a sparkle, like a mirror to reflect candlelight or an item with special texture and shine. In the Palazzo, that was the glowing onyx top to the dresser. In my bedroom at home, it's my capiz shell lamp.
5.Make the bed a focal point
Most importantly, make your bed the focal point of the room. A dramatic headboard, framing it with curtain panels, or a contrasting accent wall all draw attention to the biggest piece of furniture in the room. Dress it in layers of the best linens your budget can afford. White is always a popular choice since it can easily be cleaned, but dramatic prints like those from Dwell Studio for Target are also popular.
Elements of Style has a whole post on the subject:
 |
| source |
Hopefully THESE give you some ideas on how to transform your bedroom in to a suite worthy of Las Vegas luxury.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Designing away!
I've been a busy Designing Woman the past week!
I just emailed off an E-design for Emilee, one of the entries from my giveaway. Since I only had three entries, I decided to offer everyone a free E-design as a thank you!
I can't wait to see what she thinks of it and share it with you! I think it's going to be great! Here's the inspiration image I found:
Next up is a space plan for a friend of Prince Charming's who just moved into a new loft. We did the consultation tonight and wow, what a view! His place is on the 37th floor overlooking downtown Atlanta. AMAZING!
Then, giveaway E-design #2, a fabulous and functional laundry room! I'm thinking pink on this one.
Beyond all that, a long-time work client is looking at converting an old 1800's warehouse into a boutique hotel. When I was in town last week for a site visit, he took me by to get my thoughts. I just had to share some of the amazing potential this place has.
LOVE all the old brick. I really hope the deal goes through, because I'd die to work on a restoration and adaptive reuse like this!
I can't wait to share it all with you!
I just emailed off an E-design for Emilee, one of the entries from my giveaway. Since I only had three entries, I decided to offer everyone a free E-design as a thank you!
I can't wait to see what she thinks of it and share it with you! I think it's going to be great! Here's the inspiration image I found:
 |
| Pottery Barn |
Next up is a space plan for a friend of Prince Charming's who just moved into a new loft. We did the consultation tonight and wow, what a view! His place is on the 37th floor overlooking downtown Atlanta. AMAZING!
Then, giveaway E-design #2, a fabulous and functional laundry room! I'm thinking pink on this one.
 |
| SW6840 Exuberant Pink |
I can't wait to share it all with you!
Monday, May 16, 2011
What’s an E-Design?
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a FREE E-design ending Friday, May 20, 2011 at Midnight ET!
You may be wondering what an E-design actually looks like. Well, to satisfy your curiosity, here is an E-design I did for a pretend male client’s bedroom. Since Prince Charming hasn’t actually LET me design anything for him, this is just an imaginary concept.
So the setup: This client wanted a sophisticated contemporary bedroom design that would impress and match the rest of the house. He wanted to incorporate his abstract photography as artwork for the space. And he had $500 to spend on this project’s materials. The apartment is short on storage, so currently all his tools are stored in the corner of the bedroom.
Here’s his concept board:
The existing bed is kept and updated with dark chocolate paint. The same dark chocolate paint will be used on an Ikea Rast dresser with contemporary silver hardware to look like the dresser in the bottom right.
The side of the bed towards the door gets a contemporary round table for style. Both nightstands get silver nightstand lamps.
The window gets a no-nail curtain rod with 3M Command hooks and a cafe rod. Ikea grommet curtains block the morning sun after those late nights!
The tool storage area gets partitioned off with ceiling-hung track and panel curtains.
Contemporary bedding, like this Thomas O’Brien set from Target, sets a graphic tone to the “beige box” of apartment living.
With all the neutral tones in the space, the bright orange abstract artwork becomes the focal point.
Here’s a floor plan for reference:
Now, for the Really important part- the budget:
A true E-design would get a list of sources with item numbers and exact pricing. This budget came in at $497, just under budget. The splurges in this space are the duvet cover, large artwork, and the round accent table, coming in at over $50 each.
In addition to the concept board, floor plan, and sourcing, E-design clients will also get elevations of any intricate focal walls, such as built-in cabinetry or an artwork gallery wall.
If you’d like your own E-design, enter the Giveaway! Or email me at MissSusieHomemaker@gmail.com
You may be wondering what an E-design actually looks like. Well, to satisfy your curiosity, here is an E-design I did for a pretend male client’s bedroom. Since Prince Charming hasn’t actually LET me design anything for him, this is just an imaginary concept.
So the setup: This client wanted a sophisticated contemporary bedroom design that would impress and match the rest of the house. He wanted to incorporate his abstract photography as artwork for the space. And he had $500 to spend on this project’s materials. The apartment is short on storage, so currently all his tools are stored in the corner of the bedroom.
Here’s his concept board:
The existing bed is kept and updated with dark chocolate paint. The same dark chocolate paint will be used on an Ikea Rast dresser with contemporary silver hardware to look like the dresser in the bottom right.
The side of the bed towards the door gets a contemporary round table for style. Both nightstands get silver nightstand lamps.
The window gets a no-nail curtain rod with 3M Command hooks and a cafe rod. Ikea grommet curtains block the morning sun after those late nights!
The tool storage area gets partitioned off with ceiling-hung track and panel curtains.
Contemporary bedding, like this Thomas O’Brien set from Target, sets a graphic tone to the “beige box” of apartment living.
With all the neutral tones in the space, the bright orange abstract artwork becomes the focal point.
Here’s a floor plan for reference:
Now, for the Really important part- the budget:
A true E-design would get a list of sources with item numbers and exact pricing. This budget came in at $497, just under budget. The splurges in this space are the duvet cover, large artwork, and the round accent table, coming in at over $50 each.
In addition to the concept board, floor plan, and sourcing, E-design clients will also get elevations of any intricate focal walls, such as built-in cabinetry or an artwork gallery wall.
If you’d like your own E-design, enter the Giveaway! Or email me at MissSusieHomemaker@gmail.com
Monday, May 9, 2011
Awesome Stair Idea
One of my hospitality clients out of Dallas is building a new home. I got to take a sneak peek during construction a few weeks ago and wanted to share this special detail with you.
On their back stairs, instead of painted or stained risers, they chose to use this very cool glass tile. I love the unique feel this brings to the home, as well as the extra pop of color!
What fun ideas have you seen in design lately?
On their back stairs, instead of painted or stained risers, they chose to use this very cool glass tile. I love the unique feel this brings to the home, as well as the extra pop of color!
What fun ideas have you seen in design lately?
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Bathroom Inspiration- Graphically Contemporary
I’m helping my good friend Kristen do a makeover of her one and only bathroom. The house is a cute bungalow with lots of charm, and this bathroom needs to feel like it belongs to the rest of the house!
I came up with two options for her and hubby to choose from. Today, I’m going to share with you the one they didn’t pick.
The bathroom is small, only 5x8, so every inch needs to be functional and make a big impact. They have existing white 4” tile wainscoting that will be staying.
1.Storage would be hidden behind these frosted glass cabinets, which would be arranged over the toilet to create a storage wall.
2.This glass shelf above the vanity for open storage for toothbrushes and soap.
3.Clean and simple polished chrome bath accessories like this double towel bar streamline the space and add more function to every inch.
4. A contemporary single faucet complements the vanity.
5. A frameless frosted glass mirror goes with the contemporary look of this bath.
6. A stenciled ceiling in a pattern similar to this, in tones of gray and green, adds interest. The gray would be the wall color to balance the white.
7.A clean and contemporary vanity fixture will add more light to the sink area.
8.Very contemporary vanity with semi-recessed sink is the style identifier for this space.
9. This windmill pattern with black accents ties the white wall tile in with the dark vanity.
I’ll share the details of the design they DID choose after the reno is complete!
If you’d like a design consultation or concept board created, email me at MissSusieHomemaker (at) gmail (dot) com
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Check out this Bathroom update!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Shel's Christmas House
Mom's friend Shel bought this old Victorian. It was in really really rough shape. Apparently it was more of a birdhouse for pigeons than a real house. But Shel likes a challenge, so she and her hubby bought this place.
And proceeded to renovate and restore the whole thing. Took it down to the studs and all.
Well, now the project is finished. So they've opened their home up to the annual historic home Christmas tour.
Mom and I were in charge of decorating. Mom did most of the work I have to say.
Sunday was the big day, and here are pictures for you to enjoy.
These lanterns were on the pillars at the end of the driveway.
The house all lit up.
This cozy spot on the front porch invites you to sit and watch what's going on in the neighborhood.
Across the hall is the study
Beyond the parlor is the formal dining room
The china cabinets were decorated for the season with hydrangea trees, garland, and lace.
And ornaments they made growing up.
And the beautiful restore mantle with summer cover on the fireplace.
This looks like my grandmother just stepped out of the room.
I hope you enjoyed touring Shel's Christmas house as much as I did.
And proceeded to renovate and restore the whole thing. Took it down to the studs and all.
Well, now the project is finished. So they've opened their home up to the annual historic home Christmas tour.
Mom and I were in charge of decorating. Mom did most of the work I have to say.
Sunday was the big day, and here are pictures for you to enjoy.
These lanterns were on the pillars at the end of the driveway.
The hall tree in the entry
To your right from the front door is the parlor
Taking the stairs to the second level
This sitting area at the top of the stairs is so darling.
The Gentleman's Study upstairs with the "family tree"
Showcasing Christmas books from when the children were little
This upstairs bedroom features an antique hand-turned bedset
The grandchildren's room
And this final display in the kitchen speaks to the essence of next year's project: The Gentleman's farm
I hope you enjoyed touring Shel's Christmas house as much as I did.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
