Gifts for the Home: (Low-priced Lighting Options I Like)

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aqua, aqua shade, blue, brass, Christmas gifts, chrome, Copper, desk lamp, French lantern, gift ideas, home gift idea, kids room, Kirkland, lamp, lamp shade, lantern, nickel, patina, Peacock lamp, pharmacy lamp, silver

My radar is always on for just about any product you can imagine. That’s why when I received an email asking for some low-priced lighting options, I had a couple of options handy that I think are lovely. And with the holiday season upon us, they also make thoughtful gifts priced at $25, $40 and $50, which is why I thought I would share my picks:

How to Make a Baby Sleeping Sign

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baby sleeping sign, diy, diy a sign, diy art, diy kids' art, door knob, door sign, green and brown nursery, how to make a plaque, how to make a sign, name plaque, Nursery, Nursery ideas, wall plaque, wooden plaque

My older brother, the City Mouse, had a baby two months ago and I wanted to give him something that I made (along with some other gifts) because this would not be something in his realm. I decided to make him a “Baby Sleeping” sign for the nursery:

How To Make a Child-Size Table

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birthday party, build, child-size table, children's play table, children's table, craft table, diy, how to make a coffee table, How To Make a Kid's Play Table, how to make a table, kids play table, kids' table, kitchen table, Wood

With two little ones, the need for a child’s table was needed for many reasons, but came in handy for more occasions than I imagined when I made it…

DIY Baby Sleeping Sign

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baby, baby sleeping, baby sleeping sign, children's sign, diy baby sign, DIY baby sleeping sign, door hanger, door plaque, Downtown Manhattan, Financial District, green nursery, green white polka dots, how to make a baby sign, Hurricane Sandy, Mercer Street, Nursery, NYC

My older brother, the City Mouse, and his wife had a baby two months ago, which they yearned for – they had been trying for many, many years …with many, many bumps along the way 😦 So it was truly glorious that this pregnancy went to term. In addition to some presents, I wanted them to have something from me that wasn’t bought or manufactured, so I set out to make a “baby sleeping” sign for the nursery door knob.

This is the front…

Designer Rooms: A Peach Dining Room and a Tiffany Blue Boudoir

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antique chandeliers, antique sconces, blue bedroom, Blue Room, cool paint colors, coral room, coral room inspiration, designer bedroom, flea market design, high-end bedroom, how to add designer touches, Kelee Katillac, luxury blue bedroom, luxury dining room, neoclassic, panel molding, panel molding inspiration, peach room, sconce, warm paint colors, window treatment ideas

Good news and bad news. Good news is I have a new favorite paint color: a pinkish peach. It is delish. The bad news? I was looking for a cool color! I realized I have a lot of warm colors in our house, so I think I need to change a room or two on our first floor.

But peach…it’s just scrumptious! On Friday, I did a post on part of interior designer Kelee Kadillac’s apartment, but only showed you a portion of her apartment because it was quite a bit to take in. Here is the rest, starting with her yummy dining room:

Orange and pink is a “hot” color combination right now.

Today’s Tasteful Take on a Historic House

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Barry Dixon, Baton Rouge, courtyard, designer, DIY outdoor drapes, drop cloth, Elway Hall, floor plan, French, historic house, historical renovation, House tour, interior design, interior designer, Italian chandelier, Ivy, library, neoclassical, painters drop clothes, Parsons desk, Target, Thomas O'Brien, toile, traditional, Travertine, Ty Larkins, West Elm

Historical renovation is something I am passionate about because of my love for the architectural features. In my “About Me” section. I referenced almost buying a beautiful, historic house named Elway Hall, but it was just too far away from my office and I would have spent a minimum of 3 hours in the car a day. Two interior designers ended up buying the house that I had to begrudgingly pass on; it seems that interior designers frequently take the challenge of older homes head on without thinking twice.

House Beautiful profiled one such designer…

50 Shades of Grey

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50 shades of gray, 50 shades of grey, Dining room, gray, gray bathrooms, gray bedroom, gray bedroom ideas, gray curtains, gray living room, gray living room ideas, gray living room walls, gray office, Gray paint, gray paint colors, Gray room, grey, grey bathroom ideas, grey bathrooms, grey bedroom, Grey paint, Grey room, Living room, mushroom gray, slate gray, slate grey

Although I haven’t read the book, I thought I’d show you my version of 50 shades of grey – 50 shades of grey paint 🙂 Grey rooms can fit into any style: romantic, minimalist, modern, traditional, sophisticated and rustic. Grey, though, can be a tricky hue to get right as it can be tinged with different hues.

There are cool greys, which are mixed with blue, that read more of a more slate-grey, and warm greys, which are mixed with yellow, that read more of a mushroom-grey. From the pictures below, you will see examples of each, which may help you in determining your preference.

Courtney Cox’s Modern Malibu Manse

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étagère, Bourgeois Bohème, Celebrity home, Celebrity homes, Charles Pollock, Christain Liaigre, Courtney Cox, Elle Decor, Haenisch, Hans Wegner, Harland Miller, Hermès, Intérieurs, Kent Williams, Malibu, Massimo, Matt Palmer, Matthew Heller, Michael Kovac, Minotti, Paul McCobb, Rug Company, Trip Haenisch, Vitali

Courtney Cox recently moved from a house that she adored because it was level with a public beach and she couldn’t even go for a walk without pictures being taken. The home, designed by famed architect John Lautner, was “futuristic”, “modern” and, according to Cox, “the most amazing place I’ve ever lived in.” (See bottom for details on the house.) But, the silver-lining in all this is that she got to buy and renovate a new home!

According to Elle Decor, before becoming an actress, Courtney Cox wanted to become an architect. Hmm…that sounds familiar (Brad Pitt). Difference being, she actually took college courses in the architecture before pursuing acting. She has been very involved in every home and this project was no different. She held weekly, 3 hour meetings with the architect, Michael Kovac, who was referred by Laura Dern, and her designer (and friend), Trip Haenisch.

The team took this house, which they were not allowed to demolish:

Interview: High-Tech Nurseries

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baby, baby gadgets, c-section, cat 5, cat 5 cabling, Children, collic, ethernet, HIgh end nurseries, High tech, high tech nurseries, Home section, Infant, interview, nanny cam, national newspaper, nurseries, nursery video camera, reflux, security cameras, Shopping, Technology, web cam

Recently, I was contacted by a reporter to see if I would be willing to be interviewed for a piece on high-tech nurseries since my background is in technology. With the reporter’s deadline looming in a couple of days, I asked her to send me the questions and that I’d turn it around as fast as I could.

Baby Boy Nursery Ideas

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A Detailed House, Baby boy, Boy nurseries, boy room ideas, Colorful nurseries, high end baby rooms, Luxurious nurseries, luxury baby rooms, Nautical flags, Neutral nursery, Nursery ideas, Signal flags, Yellow nursery ideas

A while ago, I did a post on girl nurseries, now I’m finally getting around to baby boy nurseries!  Not having a boy, it was difficult to get in that mindset, especially after so many years of glitter and tea parties! I tried to include many styles (modern, neutral, colorful, white, luxurious and whimsical), as well as some gender-neutral rooms, so that there is enough inspiration for all tastes!

Prince of Darkness

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America's Got Talent, Architectural Digest, Brown marble, Brown marble floor, Celebrity home, domed chair, hooded chair, Jack Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Million Dollar Decorators, MTV, Napoleon chair, Osborn house, osborne house, Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne's house, Porter chair, Sharon Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne's house

Ozzy Osbourne’s house was put up for sale several months ago, which gives us a look inside his house, designed by Sharon Osbourne’s favorite designer, author, and star of the one time show Million Dollar Decorators, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard.

I don’t know what their house looked like in the height of Ozzy’s fame, but this is a far cry from what I would expect, although if you watched the MTV show, The Osbournes, you saw another one of their homes that had some of the same sensibilities.

Love the porter chairs!

Mid-Century Make Over in Georgetown

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Ann Sacks, Black and white tile design, black and white walls, blue and yellow bedroom, blue dining room, blue living room, Conservatory, custom built library, Farrow & Ball, gold ceiling, greek key, green sunroom, Hillary Thomas, huge orb chandelier, huge orb crystal chandelier, Jeff Lincoln, Kendall Wilkinson, La Murrina, library inspiration, lucite bar stools, lucite chairs, lucite dining table, mid century chairs, mid century wallpaper, Mid-century design, modern white kitchen, Montgomery 1, nailhead, red chandelier, red sofa, round crystal chandelier, silver ceiling, Solarium

Georgetown, DC has many historic homes, but this townhouse, recently profiled in House Beautiful and designed by Hillary Thomas and Jeff Lincoln, was built in the 1960s. Since it was in my neck of the woods, I was very interested in the home. While some rooms I found a little “busy” for my personal taste, the home had some ravishing rooms as well.

I thought you might enjoy looking at it as well…

For a small foyer, having a table with an open design is smart…and I love it! Plus, with black and white pieces, you can switch them where ever you want throughout your house – and in the case of this table, even outside. I have several pieces like this that I switch from room to room.

How to Make Fancy Cornice Boards

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Cornice, Curtain rod, DIY Cornice, diy valance, Do it yourself, do it yourself cornice board, Fancy cornices, make your own cornice, Measurement, Plywood, Shopping, Window covering, window treatment ideas

So overdue with this post, but between my lack of photographic ability, my inability to find my camera (!!!), my little imps requiring my attention, my suspicion that my imps may have had something to do with the loss of the camera and life in general, it has been a difficult post!

If you remember, I created these cornices for my daughter’s room:

It’s an easy do it yourself project that I think anyone can do.

Sharing Means Caring

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Area, Bedroom, Child, Children, Furniture, Home and Garden, Room, shared bedrooms, shared boys room with bunk bed, shared boys rooms, shared girls room with bunk bed, shared girls room with canopy bed, shared girls rooms, shared kids bedrooms, stylish kids bedrooms

Sharing bedrooms is a fact of life for many and can have a lot of advantages as well. The time spent in the room can create the best of memories and instill a sense of closeness that carry with children for a lifetime. My little ones beg – and I mean BEG – to sleep together. The problem? They treat it like a sleep over, giggling, singing and whispering into the wee hours. Overall, not conducive to a good night sleep, so we reserve it for a treat on the weekends.

If space is at a minimum and children are at a maximum, having separate bedrooms just can’t happen. So, here are some beautiful solutions:

The best idea when you don’t have a lot of space is to go up and use as little of a footprint as possible. Plus, children need the precious floor space. Leave no dead space, as illustrated by the drawers below the mattress – however, they could have done something on top too, albeit a wedge.

My DIY Carpet Tiles

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Carpet, carpet tiles, diy carpet tiles, DIY kids room, do it yourself carpet tiles, Floor, flooring option, how to make carpet tiles, kids room, Lowes, Wood flooring

If you saw my post Pretty in Pink, you saw the the interior design I did for my daughter’s room, which included architectural details and carpet tiles that I made.

Since our second floor is hardwood, when I started planning the design, I searched for rugs, but I couldn’t find whimsical rugs in the sizes that I needed for her bedroom and sitting room. This turned my search to carpet ties, which yielded two things: my shock at the price ($10-$80 a tile) and dismay at the lack of the appropriate sizes and shades. I thought one of the main benefits of having carpet tiles (for me anyway) was that if they got stained beyond repair, you could pop them out and replace them cost-effectively.

Bedrooms

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architecture, Bedroom, blue master bedroom, carpet roses, Color, color scheme, exposed brick master bedroom, Living room, luxury bedroom, master bedroom ideas, paint, romantic master bedroom, Room

Our children’s rooms have gotten more time and attention architecturally and design-wise than our master bedroom, so this post is self-serving, because I would like to address our room at some point. Our foyer is next on my list, followed by adding crown and ceiling molding in several rooms and creating a playroom for the girls. I like to mull projects over and research them extensively.

So let the mulling begin:

A dramatic bedroom of red, black and white…and pink (?), which I would lose. I like just the 3 colors better for drama.

Canopy Beds Aren’t Just for Little Girls

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canopy bed, Elle Decor bedroom, interior design bedroom, luxury bedrooms, luxury master bedroom, master bedroom, neutral bedroom, Phoebe Howard, romantic bedroom, yellow and pink bedroom

Kids definitely shouldn’t have all the fun! Grown ups like to feel nestled, protected, and imaginative too, like we’re in a fort. So move over girls, we’re taking that image back from little girls and put it squarely where it rightfully belongs: with us adults! We’re not heartless though; we will give them some blankets to make their own tents 😉

The finish on this bed frame looks like an antique mirror and the details on the headboard are so attractive.

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

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art, blue room ideas, blue room inspiration, boy room, boy room decor, boy room ideas, brass lamps, children room, decor, high end kid room, interior design kid bedroom, kid room, luxury kid room, masculine room

Not having any boys, it would take a lot of thought for me to design a boy’s room, but I have at least two readers that I know of who have three boys! So after spending a little time on girls’ rooms, I wanted to give the boys some attention too.

I’ve selected pictures ranging from rooms from whimsical to classic. But first, my dream room:

This room is beyond luxurious! The dark, moody walls, the rich leather headboard with nail head trim and shiny brass lamp and clock exude a classic, rich look. Although this room is very high-end, there are ways to emulate the look without spending the thousands that were here.

This would also make a beautiful, masculine guest bedroom or master for a bachelor.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice…

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blue girl room, Childrens rooms, girls rooms, interior design kid bedroom, kid room ideas, lavender girl room, luxury kids bedroom, pink and green girl room, pink girls rooms, purple girl room, window seats

That’s what little girls are made of. So why shouldn’t they have a sweet room to rest the heads? Children’s rooms let you tap into your inner child and, regardless of your budget, there are ways to create looks that are very special.

Maybe because I grew up during the “preppy” craze and lived by the Preppy Handbook, my favorite color combination is pink and green.

Drool, drool, DROOL!!! The fabric on the chair is gorgeous! And I love storage – there is never enough – and dead space or under-utilized space drives me nuts! A window seat can be built with bookshelves to create a reading nook like this, although I would probably install a pretty iron window grille to ensure that there are no accidents. Maybe like this, which I found for $29:

But I would paint it white.

For the little girl who is a princess….

Adorable DIY Ideas for Kids’ Rooms

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Armoire, Baseball, children room decor, childrens room decoration, crafts, Craigslist, diy decorations, diy home improvement, DIY kid, DIY kids room, Do it yourself, Flat panel display, Home Depot, kid art, kid room, light fixture, Lowes, paint

While I work on my posts for how to make the carpet tiles and cornice boards, I thought I would dig into my files and show you some adorable, simple and inexpensive projects that I thought worthy of saving for future consideration.

Before flat screen TVs, many tried to hide their TVs in armoires. Now, those that bought flat screen TVs are trying to get rid of them!

I searched Craigslist while doing this post, just to see, and there were hundreds of armoires, many of them for free! Try to imagine them with a coat of paint, molding added to the top, different door knobs, added shelves, etc.

Here’s why:

Finding one this wide would require patience, but what child wouldn’t love a little nook like this?

Children adore hiding spots, so another option for an armoire, if you can find one with full length doors, is remove the back and place it in front of a door, so it’s a “secret” entrance, whether to a closet or a room.

Beyond Pink

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Calypso Home, Chris Kraig, Delphine Krakoff, Katie Ridder, Niermann Weeks, Peter Pennoyer, Raoul Textiles, Reed Krakoff

There were a couple of comments from my Pretty in Pink post, which showed my daughter’s room, regarding readers redoing their daughters’ rooms, so I thought maybe some pictures of additional children’s room may help.

Now, before everyone turns away that is not redoing a child’s room, keep in mind that all interior design photos can show something that can be used in a different application. For example, the first picture has things that would be great for a master bedroom!

Instead of lamps on either side of the bed, there are low-hanging chandeliers! This ingenious idea frees up room on the night side tables, which is especially important if space is at a premium. Now, how many people have the wiring for this though? No one! Luckily, there are plug in chandeliers and ways to address the cord so that it is not an issue.

The stacking of the pictures is also a beautiful feature of this room and would work not only in a master bedroom, but also above most pairs of side tables.

Pretty in Pink

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carpet tiles, chandelier shades, child room, Crown molding, Crown moulding, DIY kids room, girls' room, girly girls room, kids room, make chandelier shades, pink girls room, sitting room

Following up on my previous post, A Peek into My Daughter’s Room, I finally took pictures of one of my little girl’s rooms that were semi-decent. Taking pictures is a skill that I lack!

As I mentioned, this room was a complete overhaul. We even had to do drywall work where the bed is placed because our crappy builder put a duct going right up the middle of the wall! This of course was NOT on our architectural plans.

It took me so long to figure out how to address that awful eyesore, but I finally did. I chose to drywall a larger section to make a wall large enough to accommodate a bed and then build bookcases on either side.

The rug/carpeting I made. I had seen carpet tiles, but they were surprisingly very expensive and the colors were limited. For all this carpeting, which covers the sitting room and bedroom, I think I paid about $700.

The girls love the checkerboard pattern and frequently make up hopping games. I think it gives a playful touch for a child’s room. If you all are interested, I will do a post showing how I did it.

A Peek at My Daughter’s Room

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built in bookcase, chandelier shades, Crown molding, Lighting, Lockheed Martin, make valances, panel molding, pink girls room, valance

There’s only so much time in the day and sometimes things have to take a back seat. Unfortunately, it’s been my blog!

I have been working on Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Security Initiative into the corporate sector due to the unprecedented number of cyber security attacks, which has been very time consuming since it is a new venture, but interesting, and completely unrelated to aesthetics.

Spending so much time on the technical, I’m so happy to spend some time on creative matters! So, on to my post…

When I was expecting my 2nd child, I knew there was a long road ahead in terms of fixing up her room. I started when I was first expecting and was still at it when I was 8 1/2 months. If only I had taken a before picture!

It was a major overhaul. We added crown molding, panel molding, door surrounds, two built in bookcases and ceiling medallions, I painted chandeliers and made and trimmed chandelier shades, I designed and made a rug, a play table, and (my favorite) three window valances WHEW!!!!

Even though this is a little girl’s room, all the projects I did can be done in other rooms.

I sketched out the design on plywood and made these fabric-covered valances for all the windows. This treatment can be used in any room and with any shape you want.

Celebrity Style: Jennifer Lopez

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American Idol, Art Deco, Arts, Bedroom, Celebrity homes, Dining room, Easter, Easter Bunny, foyer, Hollywood, Inspiration, interior design, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Lopez's home, kitchen, Marc Anthony, Michelle Workman, Past, Pastel rooms, Staircase

Happy Easter Everyone!! For obvious reasons, I’m keeping this brief, but wanted to give you some pastel eye candy of your own!

Following up on the last post, Celebrity Living Rooms, I wanted to show the rest of Jennifer Lopez’s home and the work of interior designer Michelle Workman.

The home is layered with pastel rooms in shades of blue, pink and peach with lots of texture, reflective surfaces (have I mentioned before how I LOVE those?), velvet, silks, leather, dark wood, and furniture with clean lines, giving the Art Deco style a distinct “old Hollywood” look.

So, sit back, sip your coffee and nibble on a chocolate bunny (or three – no judgement here!) and enjoy the pictures:

Sophisticated Rooms in Black and White

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chandelier, Dining room, entry, foyer, Furniture, high end design, Home & Garden, interior design, Light, light fixture, luxury interiors, Textile

I have been pondering so much lately – the outside of my house because of the nice weather, but also a few rooms in my house, which led me to look for some inspiration. Spring always brings on new projects for me – I just get the itch!!

I think dark and light rooms are very smart looking when done right. I also like them infused with a “pop” of another color to prevent them from looking to sterile or serious. Here are some pictures that I have found interesting for one reason or another (but some could use a 3rd color) :

My floors have gotten a little worn, which I like because it gives credence to the house being old, but I do like dark and glossy!