Gift Wrapped Dinner Table

Merry Christmas! It's been a while since I posted. I have been so busy with exciting projects I will share later.

These are photos of our Christmas Eve dinner table. I pulled this together in about 20 minutes, all the time I had before guests arrived. I used wrapping paper -- used in place of a table cloth -- and bows, paper goods I bought on the way home from work and a few candles I found in my closet. I had literally no time to pull out usual table linens and iron them, unpack holiday dishes...etc, I had to go with simple and easy. Thankfully my husband made the dinner!

The wrapping paper had a slight coating on one side and so it kept the table clean of spills. But I would recommend using a table cloth or table pad under the paper.

I love the challenge of designing on a dime and no time. It forces me, in a good way, to think of solutions I would never consider if I had all the time and money in the world. And there is so much satisfaction found in being resourceful.

Painting Crisp Lines

Here is a little trick I learned to keep paint from bleeding through your tape.

Candlestick find in Melissa's home

Today I helped Melissa put the final touches on her room. We accessorized with items found around her home. I pulled this cool looking pea green candlestick she had hidden.

Melissa asked if I knew what it was made from. No clue.

Look close and see if you can tell.

Look closer. Does the shape resemble anything you know?

Clue: If you have a baby, you might get it.

Do you see it?

Baby food jars. Yep, those are baby food jars. Clever, clever.

Melissa's mother-in-law made this candlestick back in the 60s. Retro and green all in one.

I don't have the instructions, but I am pretty sure it involves gluing the jars together. The bottom and tops are plates that felt like metal. The whole thing was painted and must have several layers of polyurethane because there was not a chip or scratch on the thing.

The baby food candle stick looks right at home amongst the turned-wood variety.

Melissa's new mantel with our final touches -- all found objects from around her home. Melissa joked that she's been decorating this room for ten years, that's how long she's been married and collecting things.

My favorite among her things?

The baby food jar candlestick.

Piano Color

Here is a fun idea from Design Mom.

We think a piano can only be two colors, brown or black. How about green or another fun color?

Refinishing can be a good chunk of change. Painting yourself costs just a few pennies.

Heather's Dreaming of a Modern Christmas

Modern Christmas tree tea light holder. To view: click here.

Heather, friend and client, is remodling her home, the whole downstairs including entry way, dining room, living room, family room and kitchen. She and her family are embracing contemporary design after many years of living in a traditional space.

Decorating for Christmas this year and coming years may mean revamping or remaking Christmas decorations to complement her new furnishings. So Heather and I have been on the hunt for inspiration in modern holiday design. I came across a variety of things.

For starters, design*sponge has this terrific DIY project to create mod paper ornaments (below). Learn how: click here. These colors might be a bit subdued for Heather's tastes that tend towards bright saturated hues, but she can use any colors to create these. And she can whip out several of these paper gems with the help of her five kids and husband Tom. A great family night project for sure! Best thing, it's not a budget buster.

Make a few for me, please!


How about this glass spiral goodie (below) for a tree topper! Found on Ebay - click here - comes in several colors.


Check out the fun stockings at Bunnie Maxwell (below) and click here. These are Heather's colors!


Found it at the Big Box, yesssss! Target has these trees (below) in red and white -- click here.


A search on Etsy uncovered tons of fun items to inspire.

Like these (below) acrylic ornaments. Click here to see more.


I am loving these felt bobbles found on Etsy -- click here


Heather must have an abominable snowman (below)! What could be more contemporary and contrarian! Also brought to you by Etsy -- click here.


This just may be my personal favorite from Bunny with a Toolbelt - click here. A very contemporary and fun nativity (below). Check out the link for more Christmas designs including ethnic Santas and wisemen in assorted colors and designs.


Heather needs this pillow (below) for her piano room that is done in black, turquoise and green. Found on Etsy - click here.


This ornament (below) reminds me of the complex graphic designs Heather loves. Found on Etsy - click here.


Heather wants to inject more turquoise color in her holiday decor. Here are some I found on Etsy doing a search by color with key words like "ornament" and "Christmas decorations". You can find handmade items in any color by searching the thousands of crafters on Etsy.
Beautiful polymer clay filigree ornament(below) - click here.


Fused glass star ornament (below) - click here.


Trio of trees below - click here.


Turquoise Glass Icicle ornaments (below) and in a variety of colors - click here.


And last, this just looks like something Heather would tuck away some place, even an area of sophisticated decor just to throw you off. Heather is always good for the unexpected startling surprise. Carmen might become part of the family tree, Christmas or otherwise, a new family member. If Carmen paints her nails, she's in! (side note: Heather always paints her nails). See more of Carmen - click here.

Rebecca's room

I work part-time at Ashley Furniture in Kirkwood Missouri. The most fun part of my job is to learn how customers plan to decorate their rooms. I ask them to send photos of their completed rooms and some take me up on it.


Rebecca and her parents bought the Cottage Retreat bedroom set and designed the room around a Hershey chocolate and bright pink color scheme.

I love the strong colors and dynamic prints in the bedding.

Terrific job...way to go Rebecca!

Out of Africa -- Guest Room Makeover

A credenza with items collected from around Carol's home.

Carol recently inherited her mother-in-laws furniture and accessories and was overwhelmed with how to put it all together with the things she already owned. She wanted to keep the old treasures while also creating an updated look. Carol is clever and has an eye for decorating, she just wanted a second eye and helping hand.

Carol's guest bedroom before.

First project: the guest bedroom.

I brought Elizabeth, my assistant decorator-in-creativity to help. Working with Carol, we started with an inspiration piece, actually several. We hunted around the home and found treasures of animals and ethnic pieces that quite naturally set the theme for our room: "Out of Africa".

Carol's Guest room after.

Only thing missing was a headboard.

Carol liked the idea of an antique door turned horizontally to form the headboard, so we headed off to the ReStore to find an old door. Only trouble was we didn't see any we liked. They were either not the right size or color. I suggested we think of something else. Carol saw the shutters...and our minds started turning. Shutters reminded us of a plantation in Africa...OK, so the shutters work, ditch the door idea!

Carol's guest room headboard made of old shutters and baseboard molding found in salvage yard.



Mr.Murphy, one of the helpful volunteers at the ReStore.

Mr. Murphy, who volunteers at ReStore, was so helpful to gather and hold our pieces together so we could view it from a few steps back. We played with white shutters, but they would not piece together to the size we needed. We eyed some black painted baseboard molding pieces and played around until we created a pattern and size we liked.

I love how the black molding works with the white shutters. The black and white headboard works nicely to bookend with the zebra rug Carol placed at the bottom of the bed.

Our headboard cost under $20 for materials. Each average size shutter at ReStore is under $5! I think it looks like much more!

Close-up shot of Carol's headboard.


Stay tuned for more makeovers in Carol's place!

designHop on Television -- see it in action!

They say a picture is like a thousand words. Video, then, is even better. Sometimes it's difficult to explain the designHop club concept. A lot of people have told me these videos help them understand.

There are two segments. (If the video stops, just drag the cursor forward and back, that should prompt it forward.):





I was lucky enough to strate the designHop club in Salt Lake City, Utah working with kjzz Home Team television host Maria Carr -- thank you! -- and friends of Jordan Paige -- double thank you! Jordan, by the way, is a sister-in-law of Sarah Paige, member of our St. Louis designHop club.

If you would like to start a designHop club or learn more, please leave me a comment.

Not Your Grandma's Wallpaper Part 5 -- LTLprints.com

I have shared wall-stickers before as part of my ongoing series: Not Your Grandma's Wallpaper. LTLprints.com provides a new take on this concept by allowing you to design your own wall-stickers.

Trish, LTLprints.com's PR Director explains:

"LTLprints.com is an online service that allows talented designers and everyday customers to submit their photographs and designs online, and we print the design in "larger than life" sizes. Our service allows for complete and total customization of each print. Simply upload your image, answer a few quick questions, and your print will be shipped in 72 hours!

LTLprints is a great solution for wall decoration. Customers can toss out the wallpaper and paint and start using personal designs and artwork! Parents can print pictures of their kids playing sports, instruments, or simply smiling and use them to design the room!

We are also in the process of developing a catalog for the website that I think your readers would find great interest in. When a designer or customer submits a design, they will have the opportunity to add the design to our public catalog. This allows for public exposure to their work and the opportunity to profit anytime their design or image is sold on our website. It's a great chance for talented artists and designers to get their work out there!"

Prices are affordable considering the drama and impact these ample sized stickers provide:

Larger Than Life: 82" x 52" (210cm x 130cm) 159.99

Over sized: 60" x 38" (150cm x 95cm)129.99

Standard: 38" x 24" (95cm x 60cm) 99.99

Check them out: LTLprints.com

More Designing Haven of Grace -- shop for shape

Our Haven of Grave project relied on the generous donations of our sponsors. Ashley Furniture HomeStore in Kirkwood, Missouri, where I work part-time, let me search the 75% off accessories for items we needed. Problem was, not all the items met the design goals for our color palette.

Never fear when spray paint is near.

We just painted the items. The brass candle sticks in the bedroom became white. The planters and obelisks in the kitchen were painted to complement our kitchen colors.

Lesson learned: You can often find good deals on accessories if you are not picky about color. Color on most accessory items can be changed with some paint. So shop for shape!

The items in the pictures below were muted grey and green before we aimed the spray can to change them into a vibrant rainbow of color.

Wallter Hex Wall Decor

Wallpaper? sculpture? art?

It's all three.

And you are the artist, using hexagon shapes to form a line, random patterns or any pattern you like.

Flexible hexes can be painted any color. Spray paint is recommended.

They are easily adhered to the wall with 3M tape.

For $29 you get 8 shapes in various sizes.

Through Tuesday midnight central they are on sale -- 15% off. Just enter "memorial" on the coupon code. See iloveuma

Cheap, easy and hot...the way we like it.

This gives me an idea using circular shapes. How about cutting 1/2 inch depth shapes from toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls and other cylinder shapes? Or using canning jar lids? Paint and adhere to the wall in random patterns.

What are your ideas?

Let's hear it for Jessica Gooley, The Belly Button Bunch

I love giving "shout outs" to entrepreneurial women who offer us home decor from the heart. Let's hear it for Jessica Gooley, who has created a group of fun zany animal wall hangings in colors that really pop. They are called the "Belly Button Bunch".

The style reminds me of children's books or coloring books I saw in the 60s. Made of the ever popular felt, they have a retro fun feel. I think they would be at home in any children's room, day care, classroom and doctor's office.

How do you get one?

Right now, the Belly Button Bunch wall hangings are available either as limited-edition, handmade art or as a do-it-yourself craft kit which includes all materials but the frame. See the website -- click here -- for more details.

Jessica asked for advice on marketing her fun friends. I suggested an Etsy shop.

What ideas do you have for her? And can you share Jessica's Belly Button Bunch with your friends?

Thanks to Whitney Johnson of Dare to Dream for helping Jessica and bringing her to my attention.

The designHop

Women of the St. Louis, Missouri based, Design Hop, meeting last month, from left to right: Colleen, Emily, Sarah, Stephanie (in back behind Gina), Gina and Dana. (Missing: Marianne -- taking the photo -- Christie, Marie, and other friends.)

Do you feel overwhelmed with home decorating?

Many people do.

Do you lack confidence to tackle the do-it-yourself home decorating project?

You are not alone.

Or maybe you actually are alone and that is the problem!

Could you use a little help?

In truth, we all could. Even professional interior designers look to others for feedback or help.

Collaboration is key to success in almost any endeavor and the design of our homes is no exception. Yet many homeowners feel alone.

I have had clients tell me they watch HGTV, they are inspired and learn much, but when it comes to internalizing what they have learned they feel overwhelmed or lack confidence to try it in their own home.

One client said, "I wish Vern Yip (HGTV design guru) would pop through my TV screen and show me how to design my own home!"

Learning the principles of design is easier than applying them to our own spaces.

It may be that we lack experience and so we lack confidence. Or our spouses and family members have different opinions that we don't know how to mediate. And perhaps, too, it is because decorating our home is a big investment and we are afraid to blow it.

Whatever the reason for the hesitation or anxiety, decorating is, for most people, a very emotional experience.

At the root of most design anxiety is "fear".

Don't we all wish a "design star" would jump through the TV screen to support us? That won't happen, but I have discovered something even better.

The designHop.

It is a creation of a group of women at my church that has grown to include neighbors and friends.

We "hop" from home to home, a different one each month, and as a group we tackle a design dilemma in the home. Last month we helped Stephanie rearrange her bedroom furniture to become a more functional living space.

Gina and I, the group's design leaders, take some time at each designHop teaching basic principles of design. Then we let the group loose to tackle a particular design dilemma the host of the hop has given us. During the hands-on activity, Gina and I mostly sit back and watch.

The most satisfying result is not the ultimate design of the room -- though that is amazing -- but is the increased confidence the women gain through the process. They become "design stars" in their own right.

We have no rules for the group, but we encourage them to try their ideas.

We tell them there is NO such thing as "bad ideas", only ideas that work better than others. And ultimately the right design solution is what works for the homeowner. With that in mind, the ladies feel free to experiment.

We meet once a month. Tonight we will meet at Emily's home to accessorize her fireplace mantel, and then we'll "hop" on over to her neighbor's home, Bridget, to rearrange the furniture in her dining room.

If you live in the St. Louis area and would like to join us for a Design Hop, or would like help to create your own Design Hop, whether here in St. Louis or another area, then leave me a comment. I am glad to help.

This is so exciting... We create "Design Stars" one hop at a time!

A related link, is Dare to Dream, where women are encouraged to practice "systergy" to support each other in their dreams. I will share more about the collaborative systergy of the Design Hop in future posts...stay tuned.

Armoire Transformed -- Found it at the Big Box

I have a special love for Target and for furnishings remade with paint...so here is an idea that really spoke to me.

This is where Rachel and Phoebe truly work together.

Jen from Sanctuary Arts at Home, inspires us to pull out the paint to give not only yard sale finds a lift, but also to give Target mass-market furnishings that one-of-a-kind look.

Jen says:

"...don't be afraid to pull out the paint and give something new life instead of putting it into the land fill and spending unnecessary money. Reusing something and putting some paint on it is a green and budget friendly choice. I know some people feel nervous about coating good wood in latex ( Mom, good wood isn't good wood if it's ugly.), but really, it is only paint."

See the Target armoire transformed, below:

Armoire before Jen does her magic.


Wow, what a transformation!

Heirloom Chic -- found it at the Big Box

Rachel's favorite, Brocade Home, and others like Target, are featured on the Today Show. But not in a segment you might expect. It is not about creating the "new" look, but the "old". For traditional charm and heirloom- feel, we might think to turn to yard sales and the antique store.

Susanna Salk, home decor expert, tells how you can achieve old world charm even if you can't afford to buy expensive antiques, or if you simply can't find what you are looking for at yard sales or the antique store. She has cleverly sourced items found at the Big Boxes and other mass marketers to create that Heirloom-Chic look.

Here are some take-aways to do-it-yourself:

1) Mass marketers, like Brocade and Target, provide heirloom-chic style furnishings that won't cost an arm and a leg.

2) Wallpaper is grand and beautiful. It does not need to take over a space, but can be hung on an accent wall.

3) Mixing patterns adds character to a room. Don't be afraid to mix patterns.

4) Mix old and new. If you can't afford grand antique pieces, consider investing in smaller pieces, like silverware. "Phoebes" will love the antique source - 1stdibs.com -- given in this clip.

5) Even modern spaces can be made more unique with an heirloom-style accent piece.

6) Family heirloom pictures -- even of your pet -- add that heirloom feel.

7) Consider the hardware on your dressers and drawers. Give them an uplift with new "old" hardware.

What are your favorite take-aways?

Festive and Frugal

Another great idea found on Laura's site -- Paint in my Hair.

Laura's friends, Patti and Kim, decorated a party in a gymnasium for a church women's organization. They spent a total of $29. Using paper, they made over-sized confetti. Center pieces were cakes that guests were invited to decorate with sprinkles. Paper lanterns hung above added to the festive atmosphere.

Consider how you can be festive and fugal for your next party by using over-sized confetti.

No More Hospital Blinds!

Laura, of lauragunn.com, a new St. Louis favorite and artist, has agreed to help Gina and I with our Haven of Grace project. I am so excited about her right brain joining our team.

I was searching her blog -- Paint in My Hair -- and found so many amazing ideas for stretching our decorating dollar. I will feature a few here, so stay tuned, or visit her site if you can't wait.

Her slip covered blinds (see above photo) should win some kind of prize! Oh, how I dislike those metal or plastic hospital blinds -- so sterile, home use should be outlawed. Learn more: click here.

And look how Laura retrofitted an antique highchair to buckle in her son so he doesn't take flight. How did they do without seat belts in the olden days?

Wow, I am impressed. Laura wins my DIY prize for the week!

Modular Carpet

Have you discovered FLOR?

Easy, easy, easy... liveable, affordable, stylish and fun!

FLOR provides us custom DIY carpet to fit any style and space. And it is so easy you can install it yourself. It's ideal for tight budgets or if you just want a custom look.

Right now mod*mom will give away the newest addition to the FLOR line-up. Carpet tiles designed by Alexander Girard.

If you want to see FLOR tiles in St. Louis, check out UMA at 1100 Locust, downtown.

Tell me your favorite FLOR tile and why.

Blue Makes it New!

Gina Adolphson, my partner for the Haven of Grace project, sent photos of her DIY project.

Gina's husband is a med student, so they live on a tight budget. They make the most of cast-offs and yard sale finds to furnish their home. The result is a very custom look.

Recently, they painted an old chest of drawers to complement their son's bedding. The dark, worn wood finish was made to look new with blue paint.

What a dramatic transformation! Their three year old, Josh, is very proud of his parent's work.