Join me in the Olioboard Blog Hop on Monday!

I am super excited to announce that Homestyling101 will be one of the blog hosts of Olioboard's OlioHop! This week's BlogHop is hosted by Olioboard and a cool collection of bloggers who will feature their Olioboards based on organizing and de-cluttering! You can create your own and link it up to join in! The Bloghop with these amazing bloggers and their Olioboards will start Monday, July 2nd at 9 am. (Instructions below!)

An example of one of my Olioboards

For those of you who follow my blog, you know I am a big fan of Olioboard and use this creative mood board tool to create a strong visual component in all my proposals for my clients. On this amazing site, you have the ability to source items from some of your favorite retailers or to upload your own favorites if you don't find them there. You can creat a board in 2D or 3D, add text, use Benjamin Moore paint colors and cool backgrounds. I can spend hours just playing around. If you aren't already an Olio-fan then head over there and sign up- it's FREE and FUN! (There is a professional version which, for a small fee will make some of these features available but believe me, you can do LOTS with the free version!)

One of my favorite Olioboards

My Coral Olioboard

Now join the BlogHop! What you need to do: Head over to Olioboard and sign up! While you are there, get working on your own organizing Olioboard and get ready to blog-hop it on Monday! Check back here on Monday to see the board I have created and to link up your own. I'll also be sharing the sites of the other amazing bloggers who are participating in the link up so you can check out their amazing creations and share the link to your Olioboard as well! . It will be a crazy (but very organized!) blog hop so start working on that Olioboard!

Wayfair MoodBoard Contest

Today is a quick post to share the mood board I created for the Olioboard Wayfair's Contest. The requirements were to do either a living or dining room with at least three products from Wayfair...not too hard since they have a ton of great stuff! Check out what I put together and if you feel so inclined, hop over to Olioboard and vote for my board!

 

How do you do your cocktail table?

Today I am hunting for cocktail tables (also known as coffee tables!). For this particular client, we paired two identical full sized sofas (approx 86") on a square rug. The setting is a portion of a great room and for the love of proportions, I am looking at round, square or perhaps two rectangle cocktail tables to keep with the scale and symmetry of the space. Including rectangular tables will make the search much easier because there are a ton more of those to be had! Here's my inspiration:

Two rounds...loving the style....

Source: housebeautiful.com via Joanne on Pinterest

I think you could achieve the look above with two of these tables from World Market...

Cost Plus Carved Table x2! HERE

Dying for Melanie Turner who did it with two squares here...loving everything she does!

Source: melanieturnerinteriors.com via Joanne on Pinterest

Thom Filicia made it work with two rectangles askew...divine...

Source: elledecor.com via Joanne on Pinterest

One large square could fit the bill.....

Source: housebeautiful.com via Joanne on PinterestkE

What's your cocktail table like? This is motivating me to ditch my old one and try one of these double duties!

Cool Alert: Amber Interiors and the Shoppe

Before I started this blog a year ago, I was (an still am) an avid reader of multiple other blogs. Some are DIY blogs, some are Mommy blogs but my favorites are designer blogs- blogs written by other designers chronicling their trials and tribulations in the business and often in decorating their own home. Over time, I begin to feel like these fellow bloggers are dear friends of mine so when one of them has a great accomplishment, I want to run and share.

One of the first blogs I started reading was the Amber Interiors Blog. Amber is a super chic designer in CA- I totally admire her fearless use of color and pattern and she has made great strides within the design community. Superwoman Amber also started her own online shop to compliment her design biz and this stuff is AMAZE-BALLS! I haven't had the right project to make my first purchase yet but I'm sure I will soon. And she must have been hearing my cries about the curtain industry the other day because Amber just announced that she is going to have designer fabric curtains "made in standard sizes and at affordable prices" Hallelujah!

 Definitely check her out- the store and the blog- and give her a shout- she is a cool lady doing great things!

Go Shop!

Gorgeous Blankets here!

Amazing Pillows here!

Another Amazing Pillow here!

 Enjoy and let me know if you make any purchases! I'd love to see how Amber Interiors The Shoppe will work in your space!

Great rooms present great decorating challenges!

As a residential Interior Designer, many of the phone calls I receive are from homeowners trying to tackle the overwhelming ‘Great Room’. Open floor plans always seem appealing to the homeowner until it comes time to decorate them: then my phone rings. While open floor plans are widely popular and can offer a wonderful lifestyle, they do offer certain challenges when decorating them. I have put together a few simple ways to tackle the great open space while creating warm, intimate and functional environments.

House & Home Great Room more here

First you have to address the various functions of the space. As I always tell my clients “beauty and function must co-exist”. Decipher what you need this room to do so it will function well for the family. Do you need a storage section? A seating area? Reading nook? Entertainment area with seating for six? Dining area? Start to section the room off in zones to fulfill these desired functions.

BH & G room here

The next step is to think about furnishing these various zones. The tricky part of the great room (especially one with high ceilings) is that while you want each individual space to feel intimate and cozy you also have to make sure that the smaller spaces relate to each other to achieve an overall cohesive look. From a design perspective, you want to look at the room with both a “zoom” lens and a “wide angle” lens. When you zoom in to each individual zone of the space they should feel intimate and cozy and when you zoom out, all the separate spaces should still relate to each other.

HGTV Dream Home Great Room here

 Here are some tips to achieve that:

• Use one continuous flooring throughout the space (such as wood floors) to unite each zone
  Mix in multiple small area rugs to define each individual area and unite the furniture within it

• Use lighting such as a hanging pendant or floor lamps to make the smaller zones feel intimate while repeating lamps around the space to unify the smaller sections. Using the same shape shades will also unite the spaces.

• Don’t be afraid to mix patterns and colors in a large space to create some interest but try to use a continuous accent color throughout all the smaller spaces to unify them visually while looking at the space as a whole. This can be achieved with pillows, throws and accessories 

• If the room still seems too daunting, then call a professional- for a small fee they can usually add in a few finishing touches to pull the space together. (914)420-6506…shameless plug!

Check it out: Rejuvenation by Williams Sonoma Home

So if you read the blog or you are a client of mine, you already know I am a fan of the Williams Sonoma family of brands. It includes Williams Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm and Rejuvenation. Rejuvenation is probably the least known portion of the company and it is quite a find! Shop the website and you'll find amazing light fixtures, lamps, hardware for windows, cabinet and furniture hardware. Here is what I am loving....

Bruno Double Arm Lamp here

Etched Mirror here

Tungsten Decorative Lightbulb here

Pretty great stuff- they do have trade discounts as well so if you are interested, let me know! Happy Shopping. BTW- another non-sponsored post where I just share what I love! 

Great Etsy Artisans

Right before I left for Hawaii, I had a great stroke of blog luck...I actually won something! I entered a totally amazing giveaway on one of my favorite blogs, Decor Happy and low and behold...I won! If you are not already a fan of Decor Happy, you really must check it out. Vanessa, the happy behind Decor Happy is an Interior Designer in Canada- she always offers great design ideas, tips and yes, giveaways!

I won the very cool special issue of Domino magazine which I have read and re-read. Definitely a great issue- if it is still available it is the kind of issue you'll keep on the shelf!

 And I have to share two very cool artisans who I was lucky enough to win products from!
The first is a photo from that very talented photographer Tania Fitzpatrick- the best part is that she prints all her photos to fit in square Ikea frames for a high-end look on a budget...a sentiment I adore! Check her Etsy shop out here.

Tania Fitzpatrick

The other artisan who bestowed a gift upon me is the uber-talented Avril Loreti who has amazing tea towels, pillows, etc in her Etsy shop.

Avril Loreti

 And in an effort to share the love, I am in the process of planning a little giveaway for you all once things quiet down a bit over here! Thank you to Vanessa for introducing me to these amazing artisans! More to come with my own giveaway soon!

Summer Kitchen Project

One of the projects I am considering tackling this summer is re-doing my kitchen cabinets. I currently have golden oak cabinets. They are in pretty good shape- they are just not my style....at all. When we moved into the home, the kitchen had just been renovated and I wasn't in the position to start ripping out new stuff when there was so many other things to address. Anyway, I was considering using one of those kits by Rustoleum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Rustoleum Kit Info

 Linen UnGlazed for the Upper Cabinets

 Glazed Black for the Lower Cabinets

Right now I am on a black kick. The kitchen is very light and bright so I might do black cabinets on the bottom and perhaps a cream on top. I am so inspired by this kitchen that came across my email via Cultivate this morning. What do you think? Is black too strong? Are you digging the cream cabinets? What type of counter? I am thinking cream granite with very few grain lines....Check out Cultivate for more photos of this stunning kitchen by Sarah Jernigan of Sarah Jernigan Designs, Inc.

 Sarah Jernigan Designs kitchen via Cultivate

Happy Belated Birthday!

I was so busy these past few weeks with life, kids, design work, etc that I missed my own birthday.....blog birthday, that is. Yes, last year on June 6th I started this little blog to compliment my design business. In looking back in the past year and 89 posts, I am shocked at what an evolution it has been. When I started my blog I thought that the blogging process was simply me sharing my thoughts and ideas with my "audience". What I didn't realize was how much I would get out of it. I have found so many wonderful women, moms, bloggers, designers, artists, publications, etc within the the blog world. I have been introduced to new resources, ideas and shops. It has truly been invaluable to my business. So as I embrace the "terrible twos" I am setting the goal to blog a little more regularly and to make it more of a priority within my business. Thanks so much to all of you who read and comment and share- it has made this experience all the more worthwhile!

Source: specialistbirthday.com via Dede on Pinterest

Cake via here

And the best part of a party is the presents! So of course, for my blog birthday, I bought my blog a present. For any of you who have seen my pitiful photos on the blog (which I try to keep to a minimum due to poor quality) I just ordered this off Amazon:

Canon SX40 HS from Amazon

(SLR users, don't hate....I am taking baby-steps here.) Ok, I am off to party! Good pictures and more blogs coming for our 2nd year. I hope you'll keep coming back and sharing your comments!

Nadeau: the fastest growing furniture company in the US

I am so lucky to be related or friends with so many talented and uber-cool women. One such woman is a cousin of mine...second cousin, maybe third cousin but on both sides of one family...I'm Italian, it's complicated. Needless to say, whatever the blood-line is, this said cousin and I were always close growing up as we lived in the same town, went to the same school, vacationed together- you get the idea. Now she lives a bit of a distance away and is currently in the process of decorating her first "home in the 'burbs" and I am so excited to help her! But as a designer, I find that my clients (or cousins in this case) often become great sources of information- some of the best tradespeople, shops or products have been introduced to me from my clients and that is one of the things I love most about this job- the people I get to work with! Ok, circling back to my original topic: said cousin has been on the hunt for Mad Men inspired window treatments and rugs....so through our back and forth emails she drops the line "I don't know if you know about this store but I walked by it the other day". I clicked the link and it was like the skies parted and the light came shining down from above...I am officially smitten with Nadeau Furniture with Soul. They dub themselves "the fastest growing furniture company in the US" and I can see why....

NYC Store Front....my new favorite place

Seriously, $192 ???

Gigantic Mirror for $295....what?

 

Please don't buy this...I am going now to snatch it up for $489!!!

Great pieces, great products...like a treasure hunt for the design-obsessed! These pieces shown here are in the NYC store however, Nadeau is a national company so check the website to see if there is a store near you. Let me know if you get hooked on Nadeau, too! And thanks to my cuz for sharin' the love!

Loving some new furniture resources!

The past few days I have been on a major hunting spree for select pieces for clients. One piece I am looking for which has been particularly tricky is a corner tv media cabinet without doors. The budget does not allow for built-ins and the client is strongly against the tv above the fireplace so we are sticking it in the corner! To add more architectural interest, I really wanted to nestle a corner piece right into that corner as opposed to caddy-cornering a standard piece. I have come to find that the corner piece is an extinct beast within the furniture jungle. Once my usual resources turned up dry, I whipped out my always useful Interior Design Magazine's Product Index Buyers Guide chock-full of resources (I forget which issue this was published in but it is about 120 pages of resources listed alphabetically or by category.)

Interior Design Mag

I always find new resources so I wanted to share my finds: How could you resist this dining table and chair from Usona Home- so modern but organic at the same time....if I were only that cool...

Usona Home Dining Table & Chair

And I am loving what Country Swedish has to offer- updated country with a bit of cool....and I am a sucker for a punch of yellow!

Country Swedish

Loved the hunt for furniture but unfortunately no corner cabinet.....I would love to hear some of your favorite furniture resources!