Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Sweetly Ever After


Courtesy of Cristina Bird

Hi Friends,

Send your guests home with a final sweet reminder of the day. Wrapped in gold crepe paper and custom candy bar wrappers, any store-bought chocolate bar will make an elegant gift. Remove the outer wrapper, and cover the bar in gold crepe paper. Then wrap the printable wrappers around the bar and secure with double-sided tape at the back. Embellish with a paper rosebud (from craft stores).

Click HERE to be redirected to the FREE printable wrappers.

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Live well,
Yvonne

Monday, May 30, 2016

Happy Memorial Day!


Hi Friends,

We Will Remember Them - The ones that we've lost still go with us in spirit. In the faces of Family, their presence still lingers. In the dreams they once nurtured they still shape our future. In the hearts that embrace them, they live on forever. At daybreak and nightfall, as long as there's memory we will remember them.

Thinking of you this Memorial Day and sharing The Ultimate Sacrifice poem by Joanna Fuchs.

The Ultimate Sacrifice:

We set aside Memorial Day
Each and every year
To honor those who gave their lives
Defending what we hold dear.

In all the dark and deadly wars,
Their graves prove and remind us,
Our brave Americans gave their all
To put danger far behind us.

They made the ultimate sacrifice
Fighting for the American way;
We admire them and respect them
On every Memorial Day.

By Joanna Fuchs

Happy Memorial Day from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!





Live well,
Yvonne

Sunday, May 29, 2016

How To Create an Art Gallery Wall


Courtesy of Jeanine Hays

Hi Friends,

Make a Statement! Jen Bekman, founder of the popular online art shop, 20x200, finds that creating a gallery wall is the perfect way to make a personal statement at home. "This is your opportunity to make a statement about who you are and what you like. Mix paintings and photography, black-and-white and color and combine high and low pieces," advises Bekman. Image courtesy of 20x200

Have Fun With the Layout


Before placing your collection of pieces, Bekman suggests playing with a few layouts until you identify the best one for your gallery wall. "I recommend laying your framed work on the floor to try out a few setups. You can even use painters tape to outline the size of the wall to help you visualize. Take cell phone snaps of a few variations that you like as you go. To start, use two to four pieces hung in the center at the same height to establish your anchor or focal point and fill in from there." Image courtesy of 20x200

Think About Placement


As you are designing your gallery wall, think about the placement of each piece, particularly when you're hanging art over a sofa or chair. "When installing artwork over furniture, leave at least eight inches between the base of the frame and the top of the furniture," says Bekman. Be sure not to hang pieces too low or too high. Eye level is best. Image courtesy of 20x200

Develop a Palette


You can showcase art with a variety of shades for a colorful display, or use works in a similar color palette that will complement the space that your art hangs in. Christiane Lemieux, founder of DwellStudio and curator of its new Art Shop, is a fan of a gallery wall with a specific color palette, “Design a whole room around modern abstract paintings. I'm loving working with the bold black and whites. It's so graphic and chic — a palette that works all year!" Image courtesy of Dwell Studio

Create a Wall Story


Gallery walls can also be used as a unique way to document and tell a story of your travels and experiences. You can include photographs from recent trips and prints and artwork that you bought while on vacation. Lemieux is a fan of identifying pieces that have a sense of story to them. "I'm always inspired by the vintage art I find while traveling and have developed a deep love of collecting pieces from flea markets and galleries all over the world. I love artwork that has a back-story. It's a real conversation starter." Image courtesy of Dwell Studio

Frame Your Work


Your gallery wall is not just about the art on display, but also the frames that highlight the art. For a clean look, frames in the same color and style are the perfect fit. You can also mix and match picture frames so that you work feels like it has been collected over time. "Frame your artwork with unique frames. Go for something distressed for an old-world vibe. I'm always finding vintage frames at flea markets. They can add so much visual interest to the home," remarks Lemieux. Image courtesy of Dwell Studio

Go Off-Center


"Ideally you'll have one picture to build from, but this doesn't necessarily have to be centered," interior designer Hillary Thomas advises. When building your gallery wall, try hanging pieces to the left or right of center for an arrangement that is less formal. Image courtesy of Hillary Thomas Designs

Mix It Up


Illustrations, paintings and a menagerie of distinctive pieces can all have a home on your gallery wall. "Do mix in drawings with photos and paintings. The more eclectic, the more you'll get a 'salon' feel," says Thomas. Image courtesy of Hillary Thomas Designs

Let Loose


The final and most important thing to remember when creating your gallery wall is that there is no specific formula for creating a great display. Thomas's final tip: "Creating a gallery wall can be intimidating, but don't overthink it. Just jump in!" Enjoy the creative process and have fun creating a unique gallery wall that you will enjoy over time.

Looking for a unique way to display your art collection? These 3 top designers shared tips to help us create a professional art gallery wall — an eclectic mix of paintings, prints, photographs and other artwork — at home.

Please feel free to share some of your gallery wall options with us too. Look forward to hearing from you but until then, enjoy your gallery wall creations.

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Live well,
Yvonne

Saturday, May 28, 2016

A Home That Proves You Can Turn Trash Into Treasure


Courtesy of HGTV Magazine
Photo By: Lisa Romerein, Styled by Liz Strong

Hi Friends,

Our featured "The House" is truly a trash to treasure story. Diehard junkers Linda and Chris Bradford are the first to admit that the 1927 bungalow they rent in Long Beach, CA, is filled with trash. “We decorate with stuff people throw away,” says Linda. A rummager since college, Linda has a knack for spotting the potential in the dusty, the musty and the rusty. That’s apparent in the couple’s 1,100-square-foot seaside cottage, which they moved into a year ago after retiring and downsizing from a large house in Northern California.

In every room, Linda manages to stylishly arrange far-from-perfect reclaimed pieces??—??the wood is battered, the paint is chipped the metal is dinged??—??and the overall result feels light and airy, comfortable and casual. “I keep the walls neutral and bring in something upholstered from Pottery Barn. It all just works,” she says. Five years ago Linda turned her treasure-hunting hobby into a full-fledged business called Junk Style Design, offering customers who visit her stall at the Long Beach Antique Market the same kind of scavenged wares that fill her home.

Now she and Chris hunt down hidden gems year-round??—??including on two annual buying trips to Texas??—??and they’ll happily dig through salvage yards or shiver in chilly predawn rain waiting for estate sales to start. “There’s something special about things that have lived with, and been loved by, someone else,” says Linda. “Each piece has a history and a story to tell.”

Living Room


Chairs: Nabbed at a swap meet for about $25 each, the leather-cushion chairs were in pristine condition. “The rattan makes them look beachy,” says Linda.

Side table: A big fan of pieces that multitask, Linda uses this old metal stool as a perch for her morning tea as well as extra seating for guests.

Coffee table: Linda’s husband, Chris, cut down the legs of a timeworn kitchen table to transform it into a coffee table. “I love the faded linoleum on top,” Linda says.

Collectibles: A gift from Linda’s mom, the pine drop leaf table displays scavenged treasures, like Big Ben clocks, a 1935 trophy, and a $2 thrift store lamp.

Kitchen


Dishware: Taking off a cabinet door put Linda’s dishes — including a green-striped Roseville bowl and ’50s-style Anthropologie juice glasses — on full view.

Stools: Carved with students’ names and initials, stools from the Los Angeles school district add some character to the neutral kitchen.

Dining Room


Plates: Linda scored the Buffalo China dinnerware at a salvage yard selling vintage restaurant goods. Total cost for the three dishes: $3.

Centerpiece: For a laid-back display, a silver-plated bowl, a food cloche, and an old battery jar used as a vase are corralled in an upturned drying rack.

Dining table: The couple bought this Amish-made table, built from barn wood, 25 years ago and paired it with Pottery Barn chairs.

Bench: A 7?1/2-foot-wide hand-hewn bench found on a buying trip to Texas “is great for casual meals, especially with our grandkids,” says Linda.

Dining Room Console


Folding table: The second Linda caught a glimpse of this slim folding-leg table at a Texas flea market, she was convinced it would be perfect as a console in her dining room.

Sign: Linda felt this metal notice was a sign in more ways than one: “When no one bought it from our stall, I knew it was meant to come home with me.”

Model boat: Nautical finds, such as a handcrafted pond boat snagged at an antiques show in Idaho, reference the cottage’s coastal location.

Tub and crate: With closet space at a premium, a galvanized laundry tub and a wood crate were put to work holding blankets, books, and magazines.

Workstation


Unframed art: A vintage clipboard showcases a rotating collection of art. Currently on display: a mini oil painting of a sailboat.

Lamp: A stacked-coconut lamp — one of Linda’s first purchases after moving to Long Beach — brings a Trader Vic’s tiki vibe to the desk.

Console: Chris teamed an old metal table base with planks salvaged from a fruit drying rack to create this two-tier desk.

Bedroom


Beach chair: Striped in greens and yellows, a canvas chair from the Marburger Farm Antique Show in Round Top, TX, has the impact of vivid artwork.

Accent pillow: Along with Serena & Lily Euro shams and a Garnet Hill coverlet, Linda added a vintage orange-and-aqua floral pillow from a local flea.

Cabinet: An industrial cabinet is perfect as a nightstand, thanks to the locker that hides clutter. The green gourd lamp on top is from HomeGoods.

Master Bedroom


Sign: Purchased from a fellow junker, the ’50s particleboard sign in the master bedroom reminds Linda of her teenage days as a lifeguard.

Swimsuits: Wool bathing costumes from the 1920s are “my weakness,” says Linda. After mending the moth holes, she had the suits professionally framed. Dresser: Passed down from Linda’s grandmother, this battered maple dresser was rehabbed with white paint (Swiss Coffee by Behr).

Suitcases


Suitcases: A rack that once held film reels now shows off vintage luggage. Stashed inside the wicker and canvas suitcases: shoes and office supplies.

How to Spot the Beauty in Junk


Buy out of your comfort zone: “A home filled with furniture, art and accessories in the same style from the same era is boring,” says Linda. “Mix things up a little, and layer in some different pieces you thought you’d never look twice at. Some commonality in the pieces is good, though. In my case, it’s the neutral color palette and the simple lines that connect everything.”

Ask yourself: Is it functional? “I don’t bring anything into my house unless it is versatile and can be used in a million different ways,” says Linda. “Nothing I own has a single purpose. If I buy a huge metal bowl, it can be a mail catchall, a pot for a plant, or a place to stack folded kitchen towels. I’ve even used a goldfish bowl as a vase.”

Be sure it has good bones: “When you’re junking, you aren’t strolling through a pristine showroom. The stuff is smelly and dirty and gross, but you have to look beyond that,” says Linda. “If a piece is well made, minor cosmetic problems can be remedied. Rust can be waxed or sealed, grime and grease can be washed off, and upholstery can usually be cleaned. But walk away if something is moldy or completely rusted through — chances are, it’s beyond fixing.”

Thanks to HGTV Magazine, we had the rare opportunity inside a California bungalow that takes the phrase "finders keepers" to a whole new level.

Happy treasure hunting...

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Live well,
Yvonne

Friday, May 27, 2016

A Toast to the Happy Couple


Courtesy of Cristina Bird

Hi Friends,

Miniature pink champagne bottles are a hit at the bar, and can be cute, adult-friendly favors, too. Wrap each bottle with a rectangle of printable scrapbook paper and add a personalized tag to the front. Just download our templates and add your text using word processing software.

Click HERE to be redirected to the FREE printable scrapbook paper.
Click HERE to be redirected to the FREE printable personalized tag template.

Check back for more great wedding ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Signature Cocktail


Courtesy of Cristina Bird

Hi Friends,

A bar or drinks station is a must-have for any wedding reception. The bar area is, by definition, a fun place to hang out, and gives you a little leeway to inject more casual elements into your decor. A piece of vintage furniture or a table can be repurposed as a display unit for the occasion. It's also the best place to serve the couple's signature cocktail. This self-service glass dispenser is filled with pink Rose & Cardamom Cocktail garnished with rose petals.

Darling Details: Champagne flutes are displayed inside a vintage bottle crate (a great flea market find) and decorated with printable scrapbook paper. Striped paper straws also get dressed up for the occasion with a ribbon flag and paper rosebud accent (from craft stores) — all in keeping with the pretty and romantic theme of the day.

Check back for more great wedding ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Sweets for Later


Courtesy of Cristina Bird

Hi Friends,

Give your guests small patisserie boxes for takeaway cake or midnight treats. Embellish each box with a sweet printable tag and ribbon to match. Don't forget to provide candy scoops so guests can help themselves.

Check back for more great wedding ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Vanilla Bean Rose Cookies


Courtesy of Cristina Bird

Hi Friends,

Cookies are another delicious, homemade addition to the dessert table. Vanilla bean sugar cookies are adorned with a swirl of pink cream cheese frosting to emulate the theme of the day: the beautiful rose.

Bon Appétit...

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Live well,
Yvonne

Monday, May 23, 2016

Bejeweled Truffles


Courtesy of Cristina Bird

Hi Friends,

These homemade morsels are almost too pretty to eat (almost). The bejeweled effect is achieved by rolling the truffles in pink sugar pearls. Each truffle is topped with a sugar-paste rose made with a flexible fondant mold.

Bon Appétit...

Check back for more great wedding ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Can't-Kill Flowers for Beginners


Compliments of Lynn Coulter
Photo By: National Garden Bureau

Hi Friends,

Our featured Sunflower is the perfect kick-off the most novice gardener. Sunflower seeds are large and easy to handle, so they're great for children or beginner gardeners. 'Shock-O-Lat', shown here, has giant, chocolate-brown blooms with golden tips. You can find sunflowers in many different sizes and colors; they grow happily in sunny gardens.

Zinnia

Photo By: SelectSeeds.com

Look for zinnias in almost every color except blue; they're also available in a variety of heights. The flowers may look like daisies or dahlias, spiders or pom poms and more. Plant them in the sun and space them as directed on the seed packet or label; good air circulation helps prevent disease.

Marigolds


Cheerful marigolds are easy to grow in sunny spots, brightening your garden with shades of yellow, red and gold as they bloom all summer long. African or American type marigolds grow 3 to 5 feet tall, but you can find shorter and more compact varieties.

Pansies


Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) add color to your garden while the weather is cool, in spring and fall. They'll even overwinter in some regions if they're mulched for protection. Give these undemanding little plants sun and soil that drains easily.

Impatiens

Photo By: Monrovia

Impatiens ask little more than a shady spot and enough water to keep them from wilting. Plant these pretty annuals when the weather is reliably warm. In recent years, many impatiens (I. walleriana) have succumbed to downy mildew. 'Big Bounce' (pictured) is a new hybrid for shade to partial sun that resists this deadly disease. You'll also find disease-resistant impatiens in the 'Bounce' series.

Begonias

Photo By: ProvenWinners.com

Tough, can't-kill summer begonias like 'Surefire Rose' are great for hanging baskets, containers or garden beds. Give them sun or shade and they'll reward you with lots of lush color.

Snapdragons

Photo By: ParkSeed.com

Bring butterflies to your beginner's garden with pink and cream snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) like ‘Twinny Appleblossom’. These plants bloom heavily and stand up to the often harsh weather in spring and fall.

Daffodils


Plant daffodil bulbs and stand back. They'll burst into bloom each spring, filling your garden with color and fragrance. Give these hardy bulbs a sunny or partly sunny home in the garden or in containers; they're best planted in the fall.

Cosmos

Courtesy of Dorling Kindersley Limited

Add cosmos plants to your garden or grow these daisy-like flowers from seeds. These annuals are so undemanding, they'll bloom even in poor soils. They like full sun (but appreciate afternoon shade in hot climates) and tolerate drought once they're up and growing.

Geraniums


Great in window boxes, hanging baskets, pots or the garden, geraniums are low-maintenance plants. Grow these perky flowers for color from spring until frost; they prefer full sun, but may need some afternoon shade in hot regions.

Morning Glories

Photo By: Seed Savers

To help morning glory seeds sprout, soak them in tepid water the night before you plant or file the hard seed coat to open it. Once they're started, morning glories can take care of themselves. But because they drop their seeds and self-sow readily, be careful where you plant them or you'll be pulling volunteers for years! To help control unwanted seedlings, mow, rake or heavily mulch the ground underneath the plants.

Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)

Courtesy of Dorling Kindersley Limited

Blanket flowers (Gaillardia) are native wildflowers in parts of the U.S., and they grow robustly in full sun. These butterfly magnets bloom from early summer into fall.

Daylilies

Photo By: Oakes Daylilies / Ken Oakes

These sun-loving perennials bloom dependably in almost any kind of soil, as long as it drains easily. Best of all, you can divide them after a time and expand your garden.

Don't say you have a brown thumb! Try these easy-to-grow, can't-kill beauties and watch your beginner's thumb turn green...

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Saturday, May 21, 2016

5 Simple Ways to a Less-Cluttered Life


Compliments of Martha Stewart
Photography by: Matthew Williams

Hi Friends,

Weeks and weeks of putting the mail on your kitchen counter eventually adds up! And that shoe pile by the door -- how long has that been building up? Since we know you're busy, here are a few easy tricks that will help you clean up your clutter in no time and with virtually no hassle.

Add It to Your Daily Routine
If your home is seemingly always overwhelmed with clutter, get in the habit of clearing it out daily. Take 20 to 30 minutes of your time and work on a different cluttered area every day. Don't try to tackle the whole house in one day -- as if the clutter wasn't overwhelming enough!

Make Space
Why do we all hate clutter? It limits our space in the world. Clearing your home of piles and junk can give you a feeling of greater emotional and mental space. Start with paper, mail, and important documents. These items should have an organized, out-of-sight home -- guests don't need to look at your bill statement.

Go through your biggest piles of clutter and decide what "stuff" to donate. If it's out of your house, it's no longer clutter!

Better yet, stop the mess before it begins. Don't fall victim to junk mail and catalogs. If it's not sitting on your counter, it ends up as a pile in the trash, which is just another pile to deal with. There are several websites that can help you end subscriptions, and you can cancel catalogs and magazines online. If you have a month's worth of newspapers and magazines, take them to your local recycling bins. Find small ways to banish junk mail, and you'll be left with a little less paper clutter in your life.

Store It
Create more storage! Everything should have its place. If you have items and papers that don't necessarily belong anywhere, designate a storage unit for miscellaneous items. If you have DVDs strewn all over the living room, give them a new home together. If you have a handful of items that are just too sentimental to dispose, find a home for them as well. It's okay to have a "junk box" as long as it's really just one junk box and it's out of plain sight.

Just Get Rid of It
What if we told you you could organized your closet once and it would remain organized for the next few months? The author of "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" -- Marie Kondo -- says it's possible. She proposes an epic clean sweep. If it sparks joy, it's in. If you have no emotions attached to it -- gone. Although it can take time and patience to clean your home in this way, it's completely worth it in the end. Kondo uses a few basic principles:
  1. Keep only the things that spark joy.
  2. Treat your possessions as if they were alive.
  3. Your possessions reflect your state of mind.
Find out more about Kondo's philosophies and see what happened when one of our own editor's took the plunge.

Clean to the Core
If your house is clean, yet you're still feeling a little cluttered, it could be the hundreds of emails slowing down your phone, or the countless documents on your desktop that "you'll definitely need at some point." Your computer can quickly become a clutter-filled haven of data and information. Such a vast amount of information in one place can almost make you feel worse than coming home to clutter!

Tackle your desktop and email first.... You likely have junk mail and documents that you can definitely get rid of. You know as well as we do that it's time to unsubscribe to that email list you signed up for in order to get a free whatever-it-was two years ago. Next, clean up your calendar, and use it efficiently. Set reminders for yourself for projects, tasks, dinners, and family events. If you never look at those Facebook birthday reminders on your calendar, disconnect Facebook from your calendar. Keeping your computer organized will give you peace of mind about important information and dates.

Share some of your clutter-free options with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!





Live well,
Yvonne