About Me

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Charlotte, NC
I specialize in affordable chic & e-design. I love color, pattern, and finding the look for less. No matter your location or budget, I can help you! I'm a wife, mother, accessories wizard, art junkie, and fan of all types of design. I also work out of my house while also being a stay-at-home-mom to 2 young girls. So I know about being on a budget!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Copy Cat Design


If you are a fan of interiors blogs, then you already know that “copy cat” designs are a hot new topic. If you haven’t seen these yet, copy cat rooms are when a designer takes a high end room from a showroom or magazine and recreates it as they see it and for real people. When I say real people, I mean people like you and me that want the look of this room but don’t want the high price tag that goes with it!


And this my friends, is really what I do – getting the look for less. So I’ve created my own Copy Cat Room.  I was super inspired by the cover of the May 2012 issue of Southern Living. The key to this room is FABRIC - lots of it and lots of mixing colors and patterns. Shopping for fabrics is one of my favorite things to do! Let me know what you think!

Here are the images from Southern Living:




And here’s my room:






     1.Maxime Fuchsia Fabric - $27.98 / yard
        The original drapery fabric is to the trade only = big dollars. It’s printed to  
        mimic traditional Chinese ink and brush and is reminiscent of bamboo. My 
        version keeps the bamboo look at a fraction of the price. 


     2. Blue Cloud Vases from ZGallerie - $14.99
You cannot beat this price. One of these would be beautiful on a little gold cocktail table.

     3.Ballard Designs Auberge Chair - $649
        Ordered in the most affordable fabric, this chair is only $649. At that   
        price, you can afford to custom upholster in the below fabric.  

     4.Covington Belami Jacquard French Vanilla - $15.98 / yard
        A graphic print looks even better on a very traditional style chair. This     
        fabric also brings in that beautiful gold color of the original room.

        Lime leopard print fabric is so fun! Perfect for pillows.

     6.Annette Tatum Bohemian Ikat Diamond Teal - $8.98 / yard
        This ikat print adds another pop of color.  Again, perfect for pillows.

     7.Blue Octagon Geo Ceramic Garden Stool  - $320
        I wanted to bring in a little more of the blue.  Wouldn’t this look awesome   
        up against the white couch?

      8.Throw pillow - $45
         This pillow is made from Sunbrella outdoor fabric. It is a great option for   
         families with children and pets because it resists moisture and stains. Just 
         because it’s called “outdoor” doesn’t mean you can’t use it inside!

      9.Oscar Sofa - $1300
         I love the tufted settee in the original room. But something that size isn’t    
         always the most practical. This ZGallerie sofa is huge and has the tufting 
         on the seat to mimic the original sofa.

     10.Sterling Industries Distressed Gold Three Bird Table Lamp - $157
         The figurine lamps on the console in the original room are antique. This   
         gold bird lamp gives the same amount of interest and also brings in a  
         different finish. 




Sunday, June 3, 2012

Master Bedroom Makeover 1 - Mineral Obession

I’m currently decorating my master bedroom (after 8 years of dreaming about it!). I’m just starting my process, so I’m going to do a blog series to document it...


I wanted to share my latest obsession and a big inspiration point for my bedroom – minerals and stones! Minerals and stones seem to be the next big thing. Have you noticed they are popping up everywhere? Like these fab jewelry pieces. And I just received my summer 2012 Arteriors catalog and this stone accent lamp was a featured item. Retail price is $750! Think I’m sticking with my look for less. Keep reading to see!



             


What really got me started on this path were these pieces of mineral artwork by Mitchell Gold Bob Williams  - been drooling over them for almost a year. I HAD to figure out a way to incorporate art like this into my home. Unfortunately, these are about $300 a piece.


So, I searched and planned and I found these stones that have gorgeous shine, interesting irregularities, and TONS of interest.  They are not as rocky and the frames aren’t silver, but you gotta compromise somewhere. I took an 8x10 frame and layered extra paper and spacers on the back to make it a little more like a shadow box. 

Again, my photography skills are big time lacking – I have a dark house with bad lighting.
But here’s my look for less!
What do you think?



I did a series of 6 – 2 purples, 2 teals, and 2 grays.
I’m planning on hanging 3 vertically on each side of my bed like this pic below. THE WALL COLOR WILL BE PAINTED A DARK DOVE GRAY. Right now it doesn't look that great. I just threw them up there to share on the blog :)

But even 1 or 2 of these makes a great impact. They can be used as a tabletop frame to layer behind books on a console table or in bookshelves.



If you live in Charlotte and would like your own framed mineral, message me on my Facebook page. A set of 6 is $299! I will also sell individually for $49 each. Each one is different and colors come in neutrals/gray, browns/orange, blues, purples, and fuchsias. Frame is white with white mat/cream background. Size 8x10. You can pick your own color combination. Just message me to get started!