Dreaming of sunny Florida home

HGTV is unveiling its 2016 Dream Home located in sunny Florida this time around. Designed by Atlanta's Brian Patrick Flynn, this 3,100 sq. ft. home is located on Merritt Island with awesome views of Indian River Lagoon. This house was the first time HGTV did a re-model instead of a new build for their annual Dream Home. For more info, you can check out their website or watch their special episode on Jan. 1 at 8 pm (EST) on HGTV.

Last minute decorating ideas

I always wait to the very last minute to decorate for the holidays. My all-time favorite question is... "Is your tree up yet?" (I'm being sarcastic) and my reply is the same every year,"I like stressing myself out so I usually wait until the day before Christmas!" (more sarcasm!). My tree is up but the rest of the house needs some serious decorating. So, next week, I will be making a mad dash to my storage unit to pick out a few holiday decorations for display. I'll be putting it all together just in time for arrival of guests and then sleeping the day after! In honor of procrastination, here are a few quick last minute holiday decorating ideas....

  Pinecones sprayed with mercury glass paint. Wood bowl from Pottery Barn (photo: PB)

 

 This is the cutest idea ever! Upside down wine glass with miniature snow scene.
I would suggest doing this for table setting. (photo/idea: HGTV)

 

This would make a great centerpiece. Limes with cherries skewed to florist ball.

Fresh fruit and fresh tree trimmings are my favorite decorating accessories for the holidays

(photo/idea: Architecture Art Design)

Who knew? Dollies and wooden skewer sticks make adorable white trees!
(photo/idea: 36th Avenue)

 

 

Serenity for 2016

My former design professor would laugh every year when Pantone would announce their annual color. He would say "No one should dictate which colors we use. That's ridiculous!" So why should we care about Pantone's color picks for 2106? Probably because this year's colors (Rose Quartz, a soft pink, and Serenity, a tranquil sky blue) are popping up EVERYwhere! I personally love the Serenity blue color. You can brighten it up with warm vibrant colors. It also pairs well with metallic gold. And, like its name, it really is a calming color. I think we could all use some of that! So, unlike my professor, I'm jumping on the Pantone bandwagon this year! Here are some of my finds for Serenity in home décor.....

Velvet blue tufted chair by Anthropologie

 Door and rug in Serenity Blue. This color pairs well with
natural hardwoods and bright orange.

A relaxing bedroom with all neutrals and light blue walls.

Vintage credenza in blue with gold handles from Chairish

Decking the door...

I am usually too exhausted to decorate my own home by now. However, since I'm not decorating store spaces this year, I 'm looking forward to doing a little more personal home holiday sparkle. And, I'm starting out with a wreath. I tend to lean towards a natural simple designed wreath....none of those fancy poofy burlap ribbon wreaths here. Below are a few of my favs.....

Love this idea of using wood discs to form a wreath (Finding Home Online)

Cotton wreath from Terrain. A timeless simple natural look!

 

Awesome yarn wreath with felt flowers from Etsy. Great contrasting colors!

 Pinecones sprayed white and made into a snowflake (Southern Living).

Reindeer moss from Terrain . Add a bright red ribbon!

Last but not least...a frozen berry and greenery wreath for the colder regions!

You're on the Guest list

Since the holidays are right around the corner and many of you will have family and friends staying with you over this time, I thought I would do a post on the little extras that make hosting an overnight guest comfortable. My family recently stayed with a friend while attending an "away" football game. This friend is a long time bachelor so my husband was expecting the worst! I am happy to report that my husband was dead wrong. When arriving at the "bachelor house", the welcome mat was out and their guest room was 4 stars! Here are a few of "extras" for your guests that go beyond the fresh sheets and clean towels list.....

 

 Monogramed robes from Etsy (Lovingly Ours) make a lovely take home
personalized gift for your guest. Also, extra slippers are also a great idea.
 

 

Fill a bar cart with cocktail necessities, coffee/tea or bottle water and snacks.
Vintage brass and glass bar cart from Chairish.
 

 

Cashmere throws from Restoration Hardware. These are my personal favorite! They can be rolled up and displayed nicely in a big basket at the foot of the bed or next to the couch.

Extra coat rack from Wayfair since most coat closets are packed full.

Wi-fi access sign from Etsy (Enchanted Prints). Guest can stayed connected and
write a Facebook post about their fabulous stay at your house!
 

What's your re-purpose?

I love to recycle, reuse and repurpose items instead of throwing them into a land fill. My previous painted furniture business was based on repurposing. I've written many posts on recycling cabinets doors into chalkboards, dresser drawers into shelves and antique chests into bathroom vanities. I recently found a few repurposed goodies on HGTV. Here are a few of my finds....

Old school house chalkboard recycled into a piece of artwork. Love this idea because of the size and its also a way to share a favorite quote.

This old window is not only used as a wall ornament by a great way to display flowers in vintage jars.

A wonderful idea to reuse old food jars and organize all those pens and pencils. Great alternative to those messy desk drawers!

One of my favorite ideas is taking a vintage soda crate and attaching wheels on bottom. Makes awesome toy storage for under the bed!

Painted pins attached to a yard stick is a great way to display school papers, to-do lists and artwork.

Lighting the fire

Most of my posts are strictly about interior design but this entry is going to be about exterior living areas. Since the weather has been gorgeous here for the past two weeks, I felt compelled to post about fireplaces and fire pits. They have become extremely popular during the past decade. Check out some of my favs below...

Tuscan style brick fireplace complete with deck overlooking marsh.

The fire pits at the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage with an awesome view of Palm Springs.

Cozy beach pits at the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa

Rock formation fire pit at St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City.

Dorothy Draper meets Chairish for a drink!

Dorothy Draper was a famous style icon who was known for mixing bright colors with black and white patterns. If Draper were still alive today, I am positive that she would highly approve of Chairish, a website that features stylish vintage furniture and home accessories. Chairish asked me to design a style board featuring one of their many fabulous vintage bar carts. I chose this Hollywood Regency style cart with faux bamboo railing because it reminded me of one of my favorite designers, Dorothy Draper.

Chairish has so many great items to choose from....mirrors, rugs, vases, glassware, etc. that it was difficult to decide which items would make my board. After narrowing down the selection, I came up with the board below. I decided to design a bar area using pops of bright colored bar accessories complemented by the black/white pattern of the rug, lamp and vase...I think Dorothy would approve!

 From Draper's style to Mid-century Modern, Chairish has the best selection of vintage furniture, decor, jewelry and accessories. It's a wonderful site for on-line treasure hunting!

Fall at Blacklion...

Check out the new cool fall merchandise in Blacklion! Click here to watch WCNC link. 

(Sale)ing away

I have decided to close The Brushed Bureau by the end of this month. My lease expires on Oct. 31 so I have made the decision to move on to something new. It's been a great decade of learning all about the world of retail! I started this business in 2004 in Gastonia, NC at The Garibaldi House with 2 friends. Then decided to move out on my own, so I rented a space in Downtown Pineville, NC. Business was slow in Downtown so I went to Blacklion and became successful overnight. Thank goodness I was persistent and stuck it out! I eventually branched out to multiple spaces in Blacklion stores. Also, rented spaces in Flutterby Interiors, Shoppes at River's Edge and Young's Garden Center. My point is that I found a career that I loved and believed in myself until I became successful! However, after 11 years of painting furniture, buying and merchandising product, I am ready for a change. Not sure exactly what that change will be, but I'm looking for my next step. As far as the store goes, everything is on sale right now....lamps, chandeliers, accessories, etc. If you get a chance, please stop by and check us out before the end of the month! We will surely miss all of our wonderful customers...thank you for all your support!!

California Cottage Cool

I am loving this latest design project of Bonnie Miller and Laurie Furber! They have worked their magic on redesigning this gorgeous 1870's cottage in California's wine country which was recently featured in Country Living Magazine. There are vintage accessories and furniture sprinkled throughout the home which add a warm cozy feeling to the updated modern feel of the farmhouse. Below are a few of my favorite design features...

Farmhouse dining table in eating area with eclectic vintage reproduction lighting

 Antique bench and wire basket paired with a animal skin rug in entry.

A vintage map folded into a dress made into a unique piece of wall art for the bedroom.

 Clever arrangement of baskets on wall in living area.

Flower garden landscaping make the perfect contrast for the black/white exterior.

 

photos: David Tsay, styling: Heather Bullard

New kids on the block

Just added to The Brushed Bureau in Blacklion ......

Mirrored frame bird prints

 

Vintage hand-painted desk with milkglass knobs

 

Metal silhouette cameo art

 

 

Chalkboard clipboards

 

 

Hand-painted tan/blue vintage french side table (pair available)



French style 101

It's no surprise that traditional French Country is one of my favorite decorating styles. I can barely pass up a French piece of furniture when I spot one in an antique store or auction! Below are some of my tips for duplicating this timeless Parisian look...

Gilles-et-Boissier-house-Paris

Tip 1: White walls and moldings. Authentic French homes almost always have tons of decorative moldings on ceilings and walls.

 

 

Just imagine-ddoc.com

Tip 2: Add some statement lighting. This is one area where I would splurge. You can not go wrong with a great chandelier! Just make sure that the size of lighting fits nicely with the size of the room.

 

 

Rachel Ashwell

Tip 3: Include a gilded piece of vintage furniture or an antique mirror. A pop of antique gold complements white and pastel colors nicely.

 

 

Annie Brahler (House Beautiful)

Tip 4: My last and favorite tip is to repurpose or paint a piece of antique furniture. This vintage dresser was re-purposed into a beautiful kitchen island.