The Devil is in the Details

Just picked up this trim on sale.

Love it. It's almost 2 1/2 inches wide. Substantial--that's how I like my trim. I'm gonna add it to a plain pair of panels for WAY less than $100. I found it here.

Have you ever wondered who makes the best ready-made AND inexpensive drapery panels? Of course you have. This is the best article I've ever read on the subject. Evah. Read it here. It's a long one -- so skim it. It's written by the adorable Emily Henderson of HGTV.


emily henderson
ADORABLE isn't she???

Purchase the ready-made panels add some trim detail and voila custom made draperies!

Seriously, these curtains from Serena and Lilly are screaming DIY.

Purchase the ready-made panels and add this trim.

 

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They probably have the exact trim on this site I just grabbed the first picture I saw because my kids are screaming in the background. Am afraid to go down stairs now.

 

Ok all is well. Just a bag of potato chips thrown all around the room and my sofa is now a castle/fort. Could have been a LOT worse.


Don't have mad sewing skills? Use this to attach.  Pour a bit on a paper plate and use a small paint brush to apply a generous amount of the glue to the trim and then to your curtains. Don't worry if you get any extra glue on the panel it dries undetectable. Perfect for a little girl or teens room.

Before and After from a reader!

I am so excited I received some before and after pics from a reader. Not sure if I was more excited over the pictures or that someone is reading my blog other than my mom:)

Here is the before picture of her beautiful interior french doors:

Now here is the after:

Did you just hear that???? That was three snaps in a Z formation.

Stunning, right?

This gal has some serious style. And she's a busy realtor to boot!   She's successful and has great taste... gotta love it!

Just a simple detail like painting a french door high gloss black will make your interior feel rich and glam. Here are some other doors sporting the high gloss black thing...



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Random Thoughts

For all you gals going on spring break. Best bathing suite EVER. You can buy it here. So flattering and feels comfortable. Trust me on this. I have seen everyone from 16 to 60 in this. EVERYONE looks good. Worth every red cent you will pay.

Looking for a new scent? I haven't used this in forever but just rediscovered it and it is so fresh and clean. It has to be the Magnolia version. You can buy it here.

Now let's get back to keeping it real...

Before you head to Target again check out this site. These pillows and rugs were featured there. Don't love all of her fashion picks (she's mighty young so the fashion is not for me) but its worth a looksy.

Picking up any of these for your Easter table?

Well here is an article from Whole Foods (yep I said Whole Foods) on how to get the most out of your tulips!

Dear Spring,
If you don't get here very soon I may just loose my marbles. Please hurry.
Sincerely,
Your number one fan

If you'd like a design consult please contact me at kraussteph@yahoo.com.

Stripe it Rich!

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There's nothing richer than a good classic stripe!

Let's Freshen up a Sentimental Favorite

Client T (for thoughful) has a dining set that was given to her by her mother. It has sentimental meaning to her and she wants to keep it. I love that about her. Not just because I believe in using what you have, but I think it's so important to have pieces in your house that have special meaning to you.

wall color is revere pewter by BM
lighting is clients own from Pottery Barn

She could easily have gone out and bought a brand new dining room grouping but chose to keep her mom's pieces.  So, we're just going to freshen them up a bit with these: 

  

Navy and white here

We are in the beginning stages of this design but I thought I'd show you the steps as we move along.  

Remember the before?

Let's call this the "in progress":

The china closet needs to be restyled and so on. But, this client could almost stop here -- looks fresher right? She spent less than $100 on the fabric. 

Stay tuned for more. Oh, and don't forget to look around your room is there something special to you? Thousands of dollars in designer fabrics, wallpaper, etc. mean nothing if your room doesn't hold meaning to you! 

 

OK found some fun stuff in NYC

Room Service

Seriously, who is going to let me order these chairs for them? Crazy you say. Crazy like a fox. Let's pair it with a white lacquer table in the kitchen shall we?

You can buy them here if interested.

How about this guy?

I would pop out the great state of PA in a colored denim that is pulled from the room. Red perhaps? Wouldn't it be great if you used your own son/daughter's jeans for this project? Way to recycle.

Onto the random thought of the day....must see TV

So last week I mentioned this concealer and since then I have run into several peeps who also use this product. Yeah! I love positive reinforcement.

Do you remember that I tried to explain the correct way to use it or how to "correctly contour"  under the eyes, on the forehead etc.? 

Well, I did a horrible job -- not my expertise by any stretch. 

But,  I found someone who can help us. 

Have you ever wondered how the celebrities get that flawless skin look? --- well here is the secret and it doesn't take that long once you master the technique. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd9GCnHntcs

You may have to modify a bit depending on your skin tone but you can get the general idea.

And I know she's a bit west coast and I'm not trying to stir up any Tupac vs. Biggie bad memories here but they can be a bit more bold with their makeup on that coast because they are in the sun everyday.

I would use whatever bronzer/concealer you have on hand or if you need to buy new I would highly recommend this duo. It's better for our east coast faces.

You can buy it here.

I hope you found it interesting ... so go play with it! What are you waiting for?

If you are looking to freshen up a room in your house for Spring contact me at kraussteph@yahoo.com.

The Evolution of a Chandelier

and other random thoughts...

When we first moved in about eleven years ago we had one of these brass bad boys from the previous owner.

So I bought some stuff from Benjamin Moore to age shiny brass and it looked like this.

sorry my golden doodle kept getting in the shot ... what a ham!

And I also added some of these.

And lots of these from Swarovski. You can buy them both here.

Then I painted it with no prep and no sanding with this. You can buy this special paint here.

Now it looks like this.

When she wants to get dressed up she looks like this.

Shiny brass? Well, it's the biggest thing in design now. Huge.

here

Tiffany Leigh Interior Design

everthingfab.com

chinoiserie chic

 

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DECORPAD.COM

here

 

 

 

any questions?:)

 

Totally Random Spring Fashion Finds

Move over J CREW. The GAP is about to take over mainstream fashion! Just kidding, let's not get carried away here. I love Jenna Lyons and I have a soft spot in my heart for J CREW. It was the place to shop when I was in college. Put on a pair of shoe boots or "shoots" as we like to call them, leggings and an oversized sweater. Done. 

Also, don't you remember drunk dialing the J CREW catalog at like 3 am and ordering a slew of fair isle sweaters? No... was that just me?

Totally kidding;)

Anyway I went into the GAP today after receiving these beauties in the mail. 

You can buy them here.

I also found these neon skinnies. Great fit just go down a size.

They need to be paired with this color... camel.



photo credit here

or you will scream "Eat At Joe's" with your neon outfit.

And aren't these shorts adorable with a navy t-shirt or white button-down?  maybe?... 

Perhaps a cat shirt?

Just wish it were dogs.  You can find it here.

Now go pop some tags and by the way, reason for the trip? It's 40% percent off at the GAP today.

Next time let's do some local shopping, shall we?

If you are interested in room redesign or color consultation please contact me at kraussteph@yahoo.com or inbox me!