Coffee!! School mornings are back! Okay here are two simple no brainer makeovers that I swear by. The most SIMPLE yet powerful transformations. First one…. PAINT A DRESSER WITH GOOD BONES A BOLD HIGH GLOSS RED AND SPRAY PAINT THE HARDWARE CHROME. (Kelly green, black or peacock blue work great too!) Okay not really anythingTwo Simple makeovers to do at home
How to pull together an outdoor dining space
I don’t know about you, but our outdoor space has never been completed. Some pieces are there, but nothing has been pulled together. It’s been one of those…oh heck I’ll get to that later. The later which of course never comes….you know what I’m taking about right??
There are HUGE happening in the coming months (more on that later), so I’m not making any more formal changes to the house. To enjoy the last few days of summer here in Virginia I pulled together an impromptu outdoor/indoor dining space with existing items.
Here’s my approach:READ MORE How to pull together an outdoor dining space →
My design advice in HOF!
Hope you had a great July 4th weekend! Perhaps you’re in the mood for some suggestions on how to create a cool interior on a budget? Check out my article DESIGN LIKE A RECESSIONISTA in the latest issue of HOUSE OF FIFTY! Thank You Janelle for letting me contribute! You can check out the newREAD MORE My design advice in HOF! →
What to do with your used furniture
Our taste changes, we move, we get married, we want a new beginning, we break up, we get divorced, we retire, we get a new job, we evolve. With every life change there’s a bunch of furniture that you have to get rid of. And what do you do with all the pieces you no longer want? The resale value of your most precious items goes down drastically the second it arrives in your home. I get asked this question daily from clients and friends and I feel like I never have a good answer. So I’ve tried to assemble a list that can help.READ MORE What to do with your used furniture →
Great fabrics under $25
I’m sourcing fabrics, furniture and items for a number of homes that I’m currently designing. It’s been a bit of a crazy pace, since my private label is growing rapidly and there’s an on line store to tend to. Definitely going to slow down the pace come the summer months! The Design Center is homeREAD MORE Great fabrics under $25 →
Do you have a frustrating IKEA story?
KEA- you love it you hate it.
In the picture below I’m standing outside one of the first giant IKEA stores ever to open. We had it in Sweden W-A-Y before it ever opened up over here. W-A-Y before it was cool. I was considered bad quality years ago, and most people were a little embarrassed shopping there.
But boy has that changed!
Somehow there’s just always something you need to pick up at IKEA. Unfortunately as soon as I enter that maze, I feel really disoriented, forget what I came for, feel an excessive need to buy all kinds of things I don’t need, then exhausted, I give up finding what I came there for, and head for the meatballs.
IT HAPPENS E-V-E-R-Y T-I-M-E I GO! For years!!READ MORE Do you have a frustrating IKEA story? →
Forget the perfect home…live your life
I think perfect homes are boring.
They lack soul, they lack personality, and they never give off the feeling that happy people live there. When I set out to create my first home, I thought it had to be all perfect and color coordinated. Boy what a fool I was! I ended up with a living room with silk fabrics that we were all afraid to sit in. What use was that? A room that looked beautiful, but that we were afraid to use??
Having said that — a home that has been ignored, poorly designed, or not designed at all is worse. A great home has style to spare, but every single room is user friendly for all family members and visitors.
Here are a few tips how to create a home you can live in!READ MORE Forget the perfect home…live your life →
Heat in the seat!
I hate being cold! Everyone is always surprised when I say that. You’re cold? But you’re Swedish, you’re not supposed to be cold? B-I-G misunderstanding. Because I grew up being so cold my toes and fingers often went numb from freezing temperatures, I don’t ever like to be cold. As I’m gearing up for an upcoming “snowy” magazine shoot in Sweden. (we need snow, praying for snow) I’m adding even more furry/shaggy seats to chairs over there. Nothing better to warm up your bum!READ MORE Heat in the seat! →
12 Step Guide to living like you!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
A new year = a fresh start, new goals, new experiences, new memories…can’t wait. Whatever you didn’t get done in 2011-get it done 2012. Wipe out mistakes, failures and start over. It’s refreshing what a new year can offer. Perhaps creating a home you dream of in on your agenda in 2012. Here are my 12 STEPS TO LIVING LIKE YOU.READ MORE 12 Step Guide to living like you! →
Design like a Recessionista!
We’re in a recession. People are looking for work, people are looking to save money, people are frustrated, people are worried about the future. Alright don’t mean to be a downer right after your Thanksgiving vacation….but it’s reality. But even if you are on a budget and worried, you can’t ignore your home! Looking at a crappy unfinished home will only make you feel worse. So there are ways to design with style, even during an economic downturn.
So the next personality we’re launching on LiveLikeYou is RECESSIONISTA – a stylish person on a budget. I’ve sourced products that won’t break the bank, and designed rooms for a fashionable woman. Now to be a true Recessionista I suggest you first follow these steps:READ MORE Design like a Recessionista! →