Beautiful office and workspaces

A little beauty to get you over hump day

via HGTV Magazine

via BHG

via Houzz

via Heart Home Mag

via Lonny

via Sweet Home Style

Make it Scary, Easily: cute and quick Halloween craft ideas from Sweet Paul

I love Sweet Paul, and these ideas are so simple but still dramatic. I might even try them and I am the laziest Holiday decorator ever. Seriously - I don't vacuum the corners of my ceiling for a month and voila - spooky spider webs as my Halloween decorations.

Paint a funkin or pumpkin in a very matte black paint.

To make these spooky skeleton cards, Paul just:

1.bought a bunch of these old photographs at a flea market.
2.Printed out the skulls from online, google old skulls.
3.Cut them out and simply glued them on top of their faces.

Make a scary vignette - the entry or foyer table is a great place to do this. Paul says "By painting some objects in a flat paint they become all of a sudden really spooky. The candlestick is painted, www.momastore.org and the bottle has dripping paint on the inside."

Another great option for the entry way or foyer.. Paul says:  1.Simply trace the lathers to a fabric and sew with white embroidery thread. 2.Frame in old frames and hang.

all images via Sweet Paul

Entertaining - Garden Club Meeting

Sorry for the MIA last week!  It was crazy busy with design work and a big installation.  So, the blog got put on the back burner.  Now, I'm playing a little catch up by sharing a few random things.

First up, a few weeks ago I posted about a brand new lacquered spray paint by Amy Howard.

I had lots of readers contact me asking where they could get this paint locally.  I picked mine up on a trip to MIssissippi.  So, I had no local source.  Well, last week, I received an email from a very nice reader (thanks, Carol!) informing me we now have a local source for the paint - Beverly Ruff Antiques on Canterbury.  If any of you take on a project with their lacquer series, please send me pictures.  I've not had a chance to try it yet and would love to see your efforts!

In more random news - Our West Elm location is going to be open very soon!  I've been invited to a preview tour of the store this week; and I can't wait!  Love the idea of being able to run by and pick up some fab accessories for a last minute style - including this little item that's been on my radar.

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I sourced one of these spheres for a client's entry table several weeks ago.  I ran by her house the other day and loved it even more in person.  So, I may have to grab one for my own coffee table!

Fall Entertaining
OK, now on to the title of this post! I recently hosted our garden club kick off party for the season.  After some very fun brainstorming with my sister-in-law, the theme "Tailgating 101" bubbled to the surface, and I took it and ran with it (sorry, I couldn't resist).   My sister-in-law is a master at tailgating and sent me home with one of her centerpieces.  I decided to set it up on my entry table as a welcome to the meeting.  I snapped these the day before, but on the day of the meeting this served as our name tag table.

I also came up with a party favor for the occasion.  I saw this recipe on Cyndy's blog, The Creativity Exchange (this is one of my morning coffee reads).  The minute I saw it, I knew I had to try it.

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It was so delicious and festive!  I came up with a tailgating tag and used her recipe (thanks, Cyndy!).

They were super easy to make on the computer and I added the simple grommet and twine to make it feel special.

Here in the South, we are very serious about our tailgating.  Not only does it have to be delicious, it has to look good too.  So, I invited caterer extraordinaire, Ingram Link, to come and do a tailgating cooking class for the group.  We made three delicious dips while Ingram talked about all her tricks for taking a feast on the road.

We also had a friendly competition of tailgating centerpieces.  Three brave members took the challenge and here are their efforts.

This cute centerpiece included lots of sweet treats, all with an Auburn twist.  My favorite part about this centerpiece -  the thick custom wooden letters she painted in orange and blue.  For tailgating, it's important for your centerpiece to travel well and these letters are perfect.

For the second one (also an Auburn fan), a clever Fall theme taking full advantage of orange pumpkins for the school colors!  Add some blue ribbon and you're there.

Talk about a clever arrangement (love the peanuts).  Also, the wooden crate is perfect for taking this centerpiece on the road!

Lastly, we had one Alabama fan who threw her name in the hat, literally!

This arrangement focused on the new symbol for the team.  Most of you know the houndstooth hat is synonymous with Alabama football.  Well, now there is another symbol that is setting a trend!  I have a feeling there will be lots of Christmas trees this year adorned with this hat. 

It was very fun to see so all three takes on a centerpiece.   After a quick vote, the winner of the centerpieces (the heavy wooden letters arrangement) received this fun prize!

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While parties like this are super fun, they are a lot of work to pull off.  I had the best group of hostess who helped me make this meeting happen - they managed everything beautifully which took lots of stress off so I could get my house ready.  They came up with a very traditional tailgating menu and we enjoyed BBQ with potato salad and for desert brownies and Roll Tide red velvet bars (totally divine). We included the food around the three different centerpieces and I set the drinks up on my buffet.

This gave me the perfect excuse to finally use these crystal urns I picked up from The Enchanted Home.  If you are looking for something really special for your home, you need to check out Tina's online storefront.  You never know what you will find there.  Thanks, Tina. 

Now, go enjoy those last few weekends of tailgating on the calendar!  Happy Monday. M.

Tom Scheerer Decorates - My new favorite and MUST HAVE book

There are a lot of good design and decorating books.  A lot.  But Tom Scheerer Decorates by Mimi Read creates a whole new standard.  Not to sound corny, but this book takes me to my happy place.  It is so beautiful and inspiring.  Just get it.

Unfortunately my very bad scanner will not do the beautiful photography, by Francesco Lagnese, justice.

Told you. 

 You can get it at Amazon.

disclosure: I received this book as a sample from The Vendome Press

Have Fun with Lighting

I have a love/hate relationship with lighting. When it's done right, I love it. When it's done even a little bit wrong, I hate it. Let's not even get into how much most of it costs. It's easy to let lighting be an after thought when we're mostly so focused on furnishings and room layout. A lot of the time I have trouble even considering lighting until most of my room is put together. The good news is is that there is an endless selection of lighting styles out there to find a piece that not only matches your space, but can really take center stage and make a positive contribution to the room. You can make it a talking piece of your space or use it to add a little color!

via houzz

If you are starting from scratch and need to locate all of your lighting fixtures, there are tons or retailers online and with showrooms to find what you need. One example is homebase lighting. Homebase is a leading home enhancement retailer selling amazing finds for your home and garden. I particularly love their Habitat Lighting section!

I'm a sucker for lighting in unexpected places - like this chandelier over the island.

via House Beautiful

Between the options of ceiling fixtures, floor lamps, decorative lamps, pendants, and outdoor lighting the options can make the task of choosing daunting.  That's why I allow my room to make the decision for me.  Of course, if you find a lamp or fixture you absolutely love,  the room will follow.

Of course, your lighting doesn't need to scream either, a chic little piece can do it's job well in the background.
via Lonny

There are a few things to consider when selecting your lighting, like how much natural light is in the room, how much light you'll need at night, and where you will need direct lighting and ambient lighting. If you already have enough light in the room adding a fixture or lamp for decorative features can be a little more flexible. 

via BHG

You can really go dramatic in the dining room because you don't have to worry about people hitting their heads!
via Adore Home

Don't forget to be a little creative! You can get get a hollow glass lamp and fill it with something fun or meaningful. This gives you complete control of the final look and style for your space. Just because you need a little light in a room doesn't mean it has to be purely utilitarian - make it something worth looking at too!

via houzz

This post is in partnership with homebase.co.uk

Home office layout and inspiration

I am having a heck of a time arranging my home office in a manner that I'm comfortable. I believe I moved my desk 4 times now and I've only lived in our house since June. This morning I was in a rampage trying to find a photo or inspiration to use as a jumping off point for laying out my own home office. Here are some of spaces I found that I could see working in the room I use as my home office.

I tend to lean towards having a "floating" desk arrangement.  The only problem is that I either have to have my back to the door, which I don't like, or my back to a window, which causes a bad glare on my monitor. I'd like to do an accent wall in my office as well.
via Houzz

This could work for me, but where you see the cork boards I have a window.  I also have windows where they have windows, but mine are closer to the ceiling and only about 3' high.

via Pinterest via betterdecoratingbible.com

via Pinterest via theulifestyle.com

via Pinterest via easteregg.tumblr.com

via Houzz

via Houzz

What is your office layout?  Do you like a floating desk, or a desk facing a wall or window?

Keeping Small Spaces Beautiful

You would think that having a small flat or studio would mean minimalistic decoration and the end to all clutter forever. But like most people, you probably find yourself holding onto stuff which you can’t justify discarding. I believe that if you have space, you'll fill it, so one has to be careful to remember to purge, purge, purge, or you will run out of space, no matter how much you have.

via stadshem.com

This is easier said than done however, especially if your sweetums or the kiddies hate to throw things away or donate them.  Here are a few rules I follow to try to keep clutter at bay.

Be brutal

Home decoration is one of those areas where you have to be ruthless no matter how big or small the job.

The fact is that you are going to be living in the space you are decorating so you have to be absolutely sure that what you are bringing into your home is what you want AND has either a function or very sentimental value.

Keep it to a minimum or keep it hidden in plain sight.

Baskets and bins are my mantra if you have a lot of small toys or tools that need to be kept accessible. Open shelves are great for accessibility but they can start looking messy very fast.  An easy way to remedy that is matching baskets or totes.

via Apartment Therapy

Use color decisively

In a small space, every color and item has more impact than it does in a more spacious abode.  It is a myth that dark colors make a small space seem smaller. What makes a space seems smaller is high contrast, because of it's play with perspective. Your can use that idea to your advantage though if you want to create depth in a room. Painting three walls a light color and saving the last one for something rich deepens the sense of space.

 via Arts and Classy

via The Shabby Nest

Nowadays, space is at a premium especially in large cities. They say that less is more and there is no reason why this can’t also be true for making a small flat or studio a delight to live in.

via Houzz

Large pieces of art make a space seem larger than it is and mirrors work wonders for giving the illusion of increased space.

Keep it slick

There is nothing wrong with clutter if you like the crammed-and-cosy look.

However, if you want to create space, turf out the unwanted odds and ends immediately. I always feel amazing after dropping off boxes at good will!

via livesimplybyannie.com

To keep it simple work on one set of items at a time to stop you from feeling overwhelmed. After all, de-cluttering is not just a physical task but emotional too. It is tough discarding objects which and quieting that voice that always says "but I may use it one day...".

Once you are de-cluttered, some cleaning tips will help you along. Clean as you go each day so that you can not only relax in comfort in your space but you don’t have a huge job at the end of the week.  Even cleaning a studio flat can take days if left too long.

via houzz

With less clutter, 15 minutes of daily cleaning will be a breeze.

this post was in partnership with supersavvyme.co.uk