Follow Fridays: made 2 cREate

This is another great blog I stumbled upon, made 2 cREate.  I originally got hooked with this amazing guest bedroom makeover, but as I continued to read Kara’s blog, I could not choose which makeover I loved more, the guest bedroom makeover, the master bedroom or this great music room she did for a client.

Kara’s style is eclectic to say the least.  It’s amazing how she mixes the rustic, romantic, glamorous and the quirky to design truly original rooms.  Be sure to check her out.  You will love what you find.  Oh…and did I mention she DIYed much of what you’ll see and she’s great with a budget.



I did it!

I jumped into my bedroom redesign by purchasing this canary bench from Target.  I absolutely love this bench and can you believe the price??? I got in on sale for just $169 with (gasp) free shipping!  I just hope it looks as good in person as it does online.  I’ll be sure to let you know and take pictures when it arrives (which won’t be until sometime in April…ugghh!).

When I found this, it reminded me of something I would find at Anthropologie.  I’ve always admired this chair, but it’s definitely out of reach for me.  Also, I like the fabric pattern more so than the shape of the chair.  Don’t get me wrong, beautiful chair, but it doesn’t really fit my decor.

Bedroom Re-Design

It all started with this…

Bed Bath & Beyond Daintree Toss Pillow

I’ve been searching for a way to update the decor of our very brown and turquoise bedroom.  It is looking so, oh how shall I put this, 2005.  I am not over the turquoise and brown color palette yet, but I want to spice things up a bit and add a few additional accent colors.   Given my post a few weeks back, about Pantone’s 2010 color of the year, I felt inspired.  I fell in love with this pillow because it gave me an opportunity to introduce orange and green into our bedroom decor.  These are colors that I also use in other parts of our apartment, so it will give our space a more cohesive feel.

This is what our bedroom currently looks like…

…and with my new color palette and some additional pieces, I’d like to transform it into this…

Eventually, I’d love to do something else with the walls.  Perhaps, add an accent wall and / or repaint the bedroom a softer color, but that’s not an option for now.  What do you think?  Should I go for it?

My wish list:

1. Crate & Barrel – Jack Table Lamp

2. Z Gallerie – Palmer Stool

3. Crate & Barrel – Antiqued Bronze Mirror

4. Nature And Art (Etsy)

5. Target – Canary Storage Bench (LOVE this.  Can you believe it’s from Target?)

6. Target – Ceramic Green Table Lamp

Follow Fridays:Home Bloggers

Inspired by the ubiquitous #FF tag on Twitter, I want to highlight other great home blogs I’ve discovered.  As you know, there are thousands of blogs on home design and decor.  This is just my way of introducing you to bloggers who inspire me and keep me motivated.

First up, is A Punch of Color.  Sheila and I share a common design philosophy.  That philosophy is simply color, color and more color.   I love browsing through all the photos on her site – total eye candy.

“Gone with the Wind” Era DIY

Yesterday’s NY Times featured a story on the Las Vegas Hart family.  The Hart family, who originates from Texas, stayed very true to their roots.  Everything about their 25,000 square foot mansion is big and over-the-top.  With 32 chandeliers, double stair case foyer and thirteen bathrooms, you may think the Hart’s spared no expense.

However, looks can be deceiving.  Larry Hart (pictured right) decorated much of the house himself.  What are some of the favorite tools in his tool box?  A glue gun and a cake-decorating kit.  Surprised?  In fact, Larry glued on all the adornments on the comforter pictured below and used the cake-decorating kit to create the architectural elements around the fire place.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m not a fan of Larry’s decor style, but I think we could all learn from his ingenuity.  I’m intrigued by some of these DIY projects, but I am concerned about their durability over time.  What do you think?

New Year, New Color: Pantone’s 2010 Color of the Year

Pantone announced it’s new color for 2010.  And it’s (drum roll please)…Turquoise PANTONE 15-5519.

Now, I know some of you may be thinking Turquoise!  What’s so new about Turquoise?  And to be honest, I have no idea.  I guess what’s old becomes new again.  I feel like I’ve seen turquoise for a number of seasons.  For a while it was popular to pair turquoise with brown.  I then saw a trend of mixing it with greens, blues and browns with pops of orange.  I pulled together a few palettes from ColourLovers to illustrate my favorite turquoise color combinations.  For this year, I like the more muted turquoise with mauves and grays.

Anyway, I’m interested in your thoughts.  What do you think about this year’s color?  How would you incorporate it into your home decor?

Turquoise with Brown

Turquoise with Greens and Blues

Turquoise with Browns and Orange

Muted Turquoise with Mauves and Grays

The Homies by Apartment Therapy

Apartment Therapy is hosting their second annual “Homies” awards for the best shelter and design blogs in the following five categories: home design, home tech, kids at home, green home and home cooking.  Have you voted yet?  If not, hurry up and get over to Apartment Therapy and submit your vote.  The last day to vote is Wednesday, January 6th.