Crate and Barrel Sketch

So I know I told you in a previous post about the Crate & Barrel chair I designed for the Designer Custom Challenge. This challenge was so much fun- whether I win or not- it was a blast designing my very own chair! The chair I selected was the Essex Chair which is a Lee Industries frame sold at Crate & Barrel. beautiful!

Then I went on the Lee website and into Crate and Barrel and selected my fabrics....my inspiration was to design a chair for a Ladies Library. Imagine a powerhouse, female CEO. Libraries are typically designed with dark woods, leathers and menswear patterns. I decided to give that a little twist with some stripes, hounds tooth and florals...

Then I came home, broke out the old colored pencils and got to sketching...this was my final design....

It might be hard to tell from the sketch but the seat is done in a light ticking stripe, the back seat cushion is a light neutral floral and the back and base of the seat is done in a khaki hounds-tooth fabric. I think they announce winners this month so we'll see what happens! The best part is that anyone can really design their own chair by visiting Crate & Barrel and selecting from their gorgeous frames and fabrics!

Happy news from Crate and Barrel!

Today I have to share two things I am majorly excited about. Firstly, some of you may have noticed the blog got a mini-facelift. I huffed and I puffed and I moved some things around for a little bit of a cleaner look. The screen got bigger, got some linen and now we're stylin'. There will be more changes to come....if you read my posts through email you won't be able to see the blog design without clicking on the title of the blog in  your email and it will bring you right to the actual site.....fun stuff.

The second amazing  thing is the exciting news I got the other day! Guess who is upping their game and improving their trade program: Crate and Barrel! I have long had a designer account with Crate and Barrel but sadly it didn't include CB2 or Land of Nod. The other day I received this amazing new trade card in the mail informing me of their exciting changes! (I guess my pleading emails to the president of the company did have an impact!)

I have used lots of Crate and Barrel items in my projects but clients aren't so interested in buying without a discount so CB2 and Land of Nod were a little harder sell....plus now I can do the purchasing online- without having to call my local trade account person....score! The only sad part is that the discount is only 10%....wah, wah.....would love it if they offered a tiered discount....the more you spend- the greater the discount......are you listening president of Crate and Barrel??? Nonetheless, I will still continue to support and use all three companies- love their products, great quality and great customer service. This is not a paid post...I am just doing a little happy dance over this news. It doesn't take much to make my day!

Nd here is what I am loving.....C'mon....a recycled pouf.....loving it!

CB2 Recycled Pouf

 The Family rug made famous by the adorable Novogratz family....

CB2 Family Rug

Adorbs, right?

Jenny Lind Nightstand Land of Nod

This could go in anyone's bedroom, really! Happy shopping!

Great wicker chair find!

Remember the post I did last week on using wicker chairs for indoor design? If you missed it, you can read all the deets here.
Well, I just spotted the best chairs ever over at Copy Cat Chic. If you are not familiar with Copy Cat Chic, the author, Reichel, features high end products and low end knock-offs. If you shopped her blog, you could furnish your entire home to get a high end look for a low end budget! I am a huge fan and Copy Cat Chic was one of the first blogs I started reading! Here is what Reichel found for the wicker chair option and I am salivating to get me one (or two!)

The Crate and Barrel Summerlin Chair for $339. I don't think the chair is currently available...but that's ok because you can get this one:

Strathwood Hayden All-Weather Wicker Bistro Chair 

 I can definitely see this in my living room with some amazing upholstered pillow cushions...maybe in something like this:

Calico Corners Magnificat Classic  here

 We'll see if I can pull the trigger! Happy shopping!

Mood Board for Mod Living Room

So, one of my very favorite cousins just moved into a new home and emailed me last week asking about an upcoming sofa purchase. She asked what my thoughts were on purchasing a sofa from Raymour and Flanigan.....is that a no-no in the decorating world? Hmmmmm, not sure how other designers feel but I believe that you should purchase the best sofa you can afford and one that best represents your innate style...as for sofas at Raymour and Flanigan- they carry all different manufacturers so I do believe it is important to find out how the sofa is constructed before dropping the dough on it.  This was the sofa she was considering from Raymour and Flanigan. I love the style and it seems to be pretty well made. So here is the complimentary mood board I put together (centered around the Raymour sofa) to inspire the rest of the room:

She had mentioned that she loved cherry blossom pillows she had seen around so I used those as a starting point and worked off of those. And I am loving the Etsy finds here...that lovebird painting is sweet and dark at the same time...they are corny love birds...but they are crows so that is kind of dark...loving the vibe! The pillows are also from some of my fave Etsy artisans, too!
Here are some of the items in the board:
Pottery Barn Peyton Drapes
Pottery Barn Bryant Floor Lamp
Crate and Barrel Lynx Rug
Pair of Cherry Blossom Pillows by amazing etsy artisan
Chevron Pillows by amazing Etsy artisan
Love Birds artwork by amazing Etsy artisan

In the end, my cousin purchased another sofa she had her eye on....it is red and very sleek...can't wait to see it in person and maybe design a new board around that one as well!

BTW, just to let you all know, I put together inspiration boards for many clients who do not live close by. Contact me for more details and I can help you develop your own room plan...plus you get full access to my discounts on any products purchased!

FYI, this board was put together solely for design purposes and I am not endorsing any of the products or companies used....I just use what I love!