"Going Green" kitchen is finished!

We finally finished the green kitchen I had posted about in an earlier post. It looks even better than I expected. The pictures below do not do it justice. I guess I need to invest in a really good camera. The cabinets look almost yellow in the pictures, but in person they are much more green. The homeowner sewed her own curtain panels from fabric we picked out. She did all of the painting herself and is very talented and patient. If you want the name of the paint color on the cabinets or walls you can email me or leave a comment and I will give them to you. I will post more pictures as we add finishing touches to the walls and table.


The cabinets used to be off white. They looked fine, but this is "WOW!" The walls were a gold color. The walls now are a sand color.

Easy Wall Art

My mom recently decided to turn a home office into a baby room. I helped her find a cute white crib on www.craigslist.com. We found a great bargain, I think it was only $75.00. Later that week my sister went to Kalamazoo to help her add a few details. They ended up doing fabric wall art. It is very easy and very inexpensive. They purchased coordinating fabrics that matched the crib bedding, and different size art canvas. You could use old frames, cork board, foam board etc. The nice thing about art canvas is it's thickness. It looks a bit more professional. Staple the fabric on and hang it on the wall. I think they did a great job. It is a great way to add a print to any room without it being too overwhelming.

One Step at a Time

BEFORE:


Many of us wish we had the financial means to demolish a room and start from scratch. We would love to purchase new flooring, new cabinets, new furniture, and all new decor and textiles. The reality is a small minority are actually able to do that. The rest of us make improvements to rooms as money and time are available. We need to look for the best deal, so finding the items we want can be time consuming and frustrating. I have found when a room needs a facelift, start with a fresh coat of paint on the walls. After you have painted the walls and decided on a color scheme, you need to make a list. I usually sit down and make a list of all the things I want to redo or purchase for the room. Some of these are items that may never get done, and some are as simple as buying a new rug. Below is a before and after picture of my bathroom. There are definitely things I hate about it, and things I really like. I have an ongoing list of things to purchase for this space. This allows me to focus on what needs to be done, and not get overwhelmed.

AFTER:





TO DO LIST:
1. New flooring so we can get rid of that hideous step connected to the shower (although it is great for giving my kids a bath)
2. A new mirror with a black frame
3. Accent towels
4. Put something on the walls!!!!
5. Rug by the vanity
6. New light fixtures

Spring Fever

Outdoor signs of Spring usually take longer than we like. Here are a couple ideas for bringing "spring" inside.

Put bright colored fruit into a bowl and place on a kitchen countertop or coffee table.



Purchase cheap spring fabric and cover your throw pillows.



Paint an old chair a bright color.

Replace winter items on your mantle with bright colored flower arangements, vases, or candles.

Add fresh cut flowers to your dining room table.

Plant herbs and place in kitchen window.

Going Green

I am very excited! A homeowner and I have been working on her kitchen for the last month or so. We have decided to paint her kitchen cabinets green. It will look very similar to the picture above (which I love!!!). Finding the right green for cabinets is tricky. We went through about 4 or 5 different samples in order to finally find the right one. When she finishes painting I will post our progress. Stay tuned....

Consultation Costs

$30 ONLINE CONSULTATION- Email me several pictures of the room you would like advice on, and I will study the pictures and make suggestions to improve the room. These suggestions can include furniture placement, color palette, textile options, and decoration placement. Within 2 weeks of you sending me pictures, I will email you websites and options that may include pictures of rooms that could inspire you and also examples of items you can purchase.

$45-NEW CUSTOMER CONSULTATION
All new customers need to have this consultation
Customers choose one large space (great room) or two small spaces(bedroom, bathrooms etc.)
I will assist you with the following:
1. Rearrange space using what you already own.
2. Decide what could be purchased to further enhance the space.
3. Choose new design plan and color scheme if needed.
4. Answer any design questions you may have.

Following the consultation I will send you a post consultation sheet. This will include the description and plan we came up with for the space.

$85-INITIAL CONSULTATION (description above)
-3 EXTRA HOURS TO USE FOR THE FOLLOWING:1. Shop for you or with you.
2. Pull a room together after design plan has been decided.
3. Choose another room to focus on.

$20 PER HOUR IF $85 PACKAGE IS NOT CHOSEN
IF I NEED TO TRAVEL 15 OR MORE MILES I CHARGE THE PRICE OF GAS

Dainty Daisy

My sister just starting sharing her creations with the world. These are just a few of her hats that she crochets. If you are interested in knowing more, go to her new Etsy shop called Dainty Daisy.

Dollar Store Callenge

For those of you just joining us, I had to create a decor piece where everything was from the Dollar Store. It could be no more than $5.00.

After searching a number of Dollar Stores in the area, this is what I created.





I am a woman of function. If something does not have function I would rather not have it in my home. I decided to use this piece to store the papers that my daughter needs to take to school the next morning. She will be in charge of taking off any papers and putting them in her backpack. I thought this would also create a sense of responsibility for her to clip her own homework papers to the board. I have four clips, because eventually I will have four children in my home.

Materials Used:
Foam board - I only used 1/3 of the board= $0.33
scrapbook paper- 4 for $1.00= $1.00
Pink paint- $1.00, although I only used about 1 tbsp worth
Push pin- 10 for $1.00 I only used 2
Clothes Pins- 50 for $1.00 (I only used 4) I am not good at math we will say $.08 worth
Ribbon- $1.00 I also did not use all of the ribbon
Modge Podge- I will guess I used about $.40 worth
Total= Approximately $4.81 This is on the high end because I had enough materials left over to make more than one board.


My Conclusion:
While a Dollar Store is cheap, it also limits your creativity. I had a hard time finding paper that would match my kitchen, so I decided to go with the girl theme. I would recommend going to a craft store and spending a bit more. My only option was foam board. Do not used foam board it bends when you apply Modge Podge to the surface. If you have any further questions feel free to leave a comment and I can answer them.

Simple but Chic

I was at my parent's house recently and got to see a new piece she had purchased at an antique store in Paw Paw, Michigan. She purchased it for only $145.00. I could not take my eyes off it the entire time I was there. I am jealous and will be looking for a piece similar in the future. Well done mom!!

I saw these in my BHG magazine and wanted to share them with all of you. They are adorable and affordable. I have always wanted to grow my own herbs, but I usually kill every living plant in my home. This seems like a no fail option.

http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/grobal-baby-pr-20405.html


The Grobal Baby by Grobal

Style and function perfectly balanced. Grobal is plant care evolved no green thumb necessary. With its unique self watering system, and stylish design by Karim Rashid, Grobal keeps your house plants lush, green, and looking sharp. Grobal draws water and nutrients from the reservoir into the soil in the top chamber. Just check the water level through the water level indicator and refill when needed through the Nutriport.

Grobal does the work, you look good. Cultivate Style.
Grobal is perfect for growing house plants, flowers, culinary herbs, orchids, succulents and more.

In the box: 1 Grobal Unit, 1 Grobal Soil disk, 3 Grobal Food 7.5 ml hydropaks

Dimensions: 4.25” L x 4.25” W x 4.25” H

Sticking with the "kid" theme

When we moved into our home a few years ago, I was so excited to have a room designated as a playroom. I really wanted a room with which I could shut the door to escape the mess. Our playroom had two great closets. I was a bit worried about children getting their fingers pinched in the doors. To solve this I hung curtains in place of the closet doors. I used a tension rod that is used to hang shower curtains. I purchased these cute curtains from Ikea, and hemmed them to the correct length. My girls love the curtains. They are used for more than hiding mess. It has become a dress up dressing room, a bedroom, a stage for shows, and much more. It was a cheap fix that added great color and function to the room. You will have to excuse the bright orange paint on the walls. My husband does all of our painting and found this paint for $5.00 per gallon at the hardware store. He was so excited about his bargain, that I did not want to upset him by telling him it wasn't really what I had in mind. I guess it works.