Dining on the Door

What do we do with old doors? Why make them into a dining table, of course. Don't knock it (pun intended), this is a great idea brought to us by Julia Crawford via Design*Sponge. What a fantastic custom-look that would make Phoebe proud.

In St. Louis, Missouri, you can find old doors at the Habitat for Humanity Restore, where old and new building supplies can be found for next-to-nothing.

Julia offers her DIY recipe - how-to tips -- click here.

She used legs found at IKEA. I have also seen new and old porch posts or stair posts used for legs.


Please share any DIY repurposed projects with me.

Affordable Affluence

When you think "brocade" do you think, like me, "expensive"? Or "Marie Antoinette" --very feminine, velvety, silky or lacy? Or, perhaps a style that borders on "garish", especially if overdone?

That is what comes to my mind.

But Brocade Home makes me think again.

Their offerings are neither expensive or over-the-top. Think "minimalist boudoir" -- a cleaned-up and current version of style that reads "nobility".

Lisa Versacio is the creator of this relatively new line. She is also the creator of West Elm. I think she is brilliant in the way she takes a concept and gives it mass-market appeal -- in this case, that concept being "elegance".

Hand carved curve back chair -- citrus -- on sale now at Brocade Home for only $159

Check out the sale going on now at Brocade Home.

Something Old is New Again!

I get so excited when I see things transformed with paint. Design*Sponge put out a call for people to submit their DIY projects. Look at these great examples of items bought from Craig's list or yard sales.




I would love the challenge of creating a whole home using only items found by dumpster-diving or yard sales. Just imagine how that can stretch a dollar, but even more amazing is how it can personalize a space. This is something for anyone to consider whether or not they find themselves on a tight budget.


Please share with me any examples you have.

Take a Chance on that Sofa!

HGTV has a hilarious addicting game called "Drop and Design" that deals with interior design realities for many of us:

Limited Budget, Unlimited Style.

The game pokes fun at the fact that we can't always control our circumstances when creating the room or home of our dreams.

A woman in one of my classes asked me, "How do you know when you have found the right sofa?" She looked at me with the same deep emotion as if she were asking, "How will I know I have found my true love?"

Buying furniture and accessories, for most people, is a very emotional experience. It is risky because a lot is on the line. Will it look right in our room? Will our family love it? Did we pay too much for something we won't love a year from now?

In creating your "perfect" room you will take some risks.

I know from personal experience.

I bought a sofa eight years ago, that after a year I wish I had bought another color instead. However, in my new home and with new pillows, I am seeing it in a whole new light and loving it again.

I don't know anyone who has not regretted a design purchase or inherited items that are not their style.

We make the most of our circumstances when we look at our things with new eyes. You have opportunities to make it a good marriage. OK, sometimes you just have to divorce that ugly sofa; but in most cases, there are no mistakes, only opportunities.

I really believe that.

Take a chance. Play the game. Now is it the room of your dreams? Maybe not. What would you do to make the most of it with your limited budget and resources?

If you find you are stuck and can't move forward, it may be time to take some chances!

St. Louis Modern

I live in St. Louis, Missouri, in the heart of the Midwest. Modern style may not be what comes to mind when you think of this traditional heartland. In fact, most of my clientele in the St. Louis counties favor traditional style, and I enjoy serving them.

Recently, however, I have moved to the Central West End of the city, and I am enjoying the best of modern design and lifestyle the city has to offer.

The Arch -- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial -- tops my list for modern design in St. Louis. I don't have words to describe my love of the Arch. I never tire of it or stop taking photos of it.



Eero Saarinen was the architect whose vision was to create a monument that transcends the boundaries of time.

The Arch looks to the past as a symbol of a gateway with reverence for St. Louis' role in opening of the westward U.S. territories. While it looks back to the past, it also looks boldly to the modern age with its simplicity and steel construction.

Breaking the mold of typical monuments, it is not an obelisk, rectangular or dome in shape. It makes its own statement on the banks of the Mississippi. I can't think what shape or form is more appropriate.

For more on the Arch I recommend a beautiful book by the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Gateway Arch) Chief Historian, and my friend, Robert J. Moore, Jr., called The Gateway Arch: An Architectural Dream.

I could go on from the Arch to list the best of modern design in St. Louis, but 2Modern Design has already done it - why reinvent the wheel? I defer to their list. Check it out at 2Modern Design.

And see more of Eero Saarinen's work at mod*mom.

Mirror, Mirror Re-visited

I am now a featured blog in Delightful blogs. You are free to cast your vote for my blog.



Find it here: http://www.delightfulblogs.com/dana-s-design-studio-link-7040.html It is a 10 point rating scale with "10" being "great" and "1" being "not-so-great".

You be the judge.

Delightful Blogs is a great place to become familiar with the different blogs out there. Through this blog community I am finding blogs I will eventually list, but I do have a day job and it takes time.

So don't wait for me, go bookmark your favorites that inspire you. And feel free to share them with me. I especially want to find the budget-decorating tips out there.

Room in the Hotel de Rome in Berlin as seen in InStyle magazine

Speaking of which, I found inspiration from the Turquoise Chic blog. Well, it is probably high-end because a room in the Hotel de Rome in Berlin does not sound like a room done on a budget.


Ahhhhh, but we can find inspiration everywhere and these mirrors hung horizontally remind me of the dinning room I designed with three inexpensive wardrobe mirrors hung vertically.

I love both ways.

Take a look at wardrobe mirrors at your local big box. They come in a variety of styles that I have not seen in the past.

With design tips like this, and a little imagination, your room can mimic the appointments of a first class hotel!

World Market Screen Tranformed

Here is a great idea from Dose of Design. This World Market screen is budget-friendly and makes a great addition to almost any style room, but imagine how it can be transformed with paint.

Dose of Design used Photoshop to create the bright-colored versions below. These would be perfect for a contemporary or whimsical space.

What can you transform with paint?

Rachel Ray's Fave for the Home -- polka dot lamp

I don't often think of Rachel Ray providing home decorating advice, but each month in her magazine she highlights her favorite home decor finds.

She likes this fun brown dot lamp from Wal-Mart and I do too.


How great this would be paired with wall sticker "sprinkles" by Michelle Christina You can order colors to match the lamp!



I'm seeing dots, are you?

Not Your Grandma's Wallpaper, Part 4 -- Wall Stickers

from michellechristina

Introducing wall stickers, sometimes called vinyl lettering or vinyl stickers. They are a budget-friendly way to add art and design to your walls. They can be removed without hurting your walls so they are ideal for apartment dwellers. To find them, I like to search Etsy. Just type in "wall stickers".

Here are a few:

From pulcinopazzo:

From holly:
Note, above, the Russian nesting dolls are wall stickers. How clever.



from michellechristina:


What can you do with wall stickers?

Molding Tricks -- Linda and Matt's New Home

Linda and Matt, St. Louisans, are new homeowners and soon to be new parents. It's a fun time for them.

Their home is 65 years old and so, as you would expect, has a lot of history and character. They have added their own touches and history already, starting with their dining room.

It made sense to Linda to make the dining room their first project, because she loves to cook. She hosts her own blog -- New House, New Kitchen --sharing her favorite recipes.

As you can see, the molding was an issue. The previous homeowner installed crown molding, but because the ceiling is uneven the molding cracked.

If they replaced it, they would have the same issue. Making the ceiling even was not in their budget.

In order to achieve an attractive finish to ceiling, they installed a picture rail molding and painted above it the same color as the ceiling. This creates a crowing effect despite not having a crown molding.




Dining room before (left, above) and after( on right).




To make the picture rail pop, they painted it the same dark brown as the accessories in the room.

They painted the walls a rich terracotta color and added stunning romantic lighting. The room glows, and I think it looks delicious!

What tricks have you played using molding?

Related blog:

Julie's bedroom

Stylish, Versatile Chair - found it at the Big Box

You know I love a good Big Box find. I found this chair highlighted in an issue of Budget Decorating in their "Bargain Beat" department.

Here's their review:

"Sophisticated and simple, the Rose Hill Deco Chair from Wal-Mart is perfectly at home in the living room, dining room or even home office."

I agree.

And at $150 who can beat the price! At least one reviewer on the Wal-Mart website gave it 5 stars. She said, and I agree, that similar chairs would start at $250.

Need a chair? Have a seat in Wal-Mart's new beauty that comes in a choice of three neutral colors to fit most any decor.

Master Bedroom– found it at the Big Box

Photo courtesy of Katherine Bish

I recently designed a model home, on a budget, for Town & Country Homes, Inc. in the Central West End, St. Louis, Missouri.

For budget-wise furnishings we turned to Ashley Furniture. This company has been around a long time, but in recent years it has exploded with growth, while other furniture companies have been struggling. In the last two years, five Ashley Homestores have opened in the St. Louis area.

They top just about everyone's list for known value and selection. As a result, Ashley is the most often chosen furniture brand for television home makeover shows.

In Style. In Reach. That is their slogan and it fits.

We furnished the entire bedroom with Ashley's contemporary Metro Silhouette -- headboard and bed frame, dresser with mirror and night stand -- for only $675.75.

For the lamp, I bought a shade at Wal-Mart on sale for $9.96. It was the right shape and right price, but the wrong color. I painted it brown to match our color palette. The lamp base was found at Target for under $30.


















The small decorative mirrors above the headboard were an IKEA find for under $3 each, a total of $15.

I found the window treatment panels at Sears, which, though regularly priced at $40 for a pair, had been marked down to $20. I found the curtain rod, regularly $50, in the clearance section at Bed Bath & Beyond for $4.97. That was a steal. It had a very slight dent which I secured towards the wall out of view.

The total cost of the window treatments was under $50 to dress the two windows. Had I not searched items in the scratch and dent and clearance sections I would have paid $130. My savings: $85.




So don't forget to look at those clearance aisles for big savings!

The bed comforter set was found at Target for $100.


I found a decorative glass bowl and vase on sale at Wal-Mart for under $20. The circular design and blue and brown colors mimic the circular patterns and color in the bedspread.

Our grand total for the bedroom: $894.96. That's a lot of bang for your Big-Box buck!

Because this bedroom is in a model home, it is void of any personal history by design. Model homes are to be generic so potential buyers can envision their belongings in the room.

However, this room is off to a great start to become a personal space. Just add some Etsy finds, heirlooms and special touches.

As this bedroom demonstrates, the Big Boxes offer great savings for the budget-minded decorator.

I’m Dreaming of a Retro Christmas

Merry Retro Christmas!

It has been a walk down memory lane for our family, beginning with the lava lamps our children -- Audrey (19 yr.) and Alex (16 yr.)-- received this morning.

This has prompted discussion about “what was Christmas like when you were kids?”





We pulled out family photos with my mom entertaining guests at her '60s style Christmas party. My kids loved seeing her cat-eyes, her updo and wearing her perfectly fitted A-line dress.

We think she looked like Jackie O.

Trying to capture how my mom decorated for Christmas in the '60s, I pulled up photos from an HGTV, Design on a Dime, holiday room makeover, retro-style.

Holiday decorating of '50s and '60s can inspire today’s holiday design, even if you are not into mid-century modern.

Here are some ideas:

My mother, during the 50's and 60's, had a room decorated like the above photo, with silver and blue. Not just the tree being silver and blue, but the whole room!

I may be wrong, but it seems like in the mid-century we saw a lot more color coordination of the entire room to fit the theme. I remember relatives and friends also decorating such color-coordinated rooms.

You can create a dramatic look by coordinating the colors used in your decorations to work with your existing furnishings.

Consider changing out your pillows and artwork to reflect the color-theme of your tree. Also consider how your walls and furnishings can inspire the color for the decorations? My mother's blue living-room furnishings and walls inspired her use of silver and blue for her tree.



This room had a great start, pictured above. HGTV's Design on a Dime team took it further -- or backward -- and added retro-styled, color-coordinated accessories to pull off a dramatic '60s themed Christmas, pictured below.






Wrapping holiday paper and ribbon around particle boards (pictured above) reminds me of so many front doors I saw in the '60s covered with paper to resemble gifts. What a fun back drop this makes for photos of guests at a holiday party!

I can also see taking your existing framed artwork and covering with holiday wrap. If you have a montage of pictures on a wall, for example, you can cover them in holiday wrap to look like gifts.

If you don't want to cover your existing artwork and photos, but you do want to add some festive color, try adding holiday ribbons diagonally to the corners. Or string ribbon down behind the frames to look as if the artwork or photos are hanging on the ribbon.

I am taking inspiration from Mom's photo albums for decorating next year.

What design tips do you glean from Christmas past?

See more ideas at HGTV, Design on a Dime.

Real People; Real Homes

This photo and the following photos are the home of Phyllis Johansen and Ivan Torres-Ubillus, of Town and Country, Missouri, as seen in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Lifestyle section. Pictured above are masks collected from around the world by Phyllis and Ivan.

Have you ever driven by a home and wondered what it looks like on the inside?

Sometimes I just want to open the door and take a tour.

Lucky Susan Fadem gets to do that each week. She writes the At Home With series where, each Saturday, in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Lifestyle section, she explores how people make their house a home, with decor and lifestyle.

These homeowners are not necessarily the rich and famous, though some are. They are people of different backgrounds who live in homes and apartments of varying sizes and styles. Not all have had the help of a professional designer, but all are appointed with special touches – the history -- that reflect the people in the home.


These are real people, in real homes.





Seeing people enjoy their spaces with their style, in their way, affirms that style is personal, and can be made fit you and your lifestyle.

Our things reflect what we value, how we spend our time and how we view the world.

And while my neighbor’s whatnots and bric-a-brac may not be what I would have in my home, I can celebrate what they love and learn more about what is important to them.

Style communicates something very deep and personal.

Style is a snapshot revealing our hearts and minds.

Often people say to me, “I don’t know my style, I can’t decide what I like.” It seems to be a common concern, the second most expressed concern right after: “What color do I paint those walls!”

You might feel like Phyllis Johansen, featured in last week’s At Home With, who expressed a concern to a friend that she liked too many styles. Her friend advised Phyllis to get over it and to buy what she liked and it would all work out.

Taking her friend’s advice, Phyllis and her husband, Ivan, have created a home that reflects their backgrounds, passions and travels. She calls their style: eclectic-bohemian-global.

People who have found their style focus, as did Phyllis, on their very basic needs and desires and are not driven by the latest trends or what their neighbor likes.



If you feel that you are trying to find your style, ask yourself these questions:

What do you want your home to DO for you?


What story do you want the home to tell about you and your family?

Remember, as Susan Fadem shows us each week, style is personal and it starts with the heart and your stories.

My Etsy "Holiday" Gallery

Painting -- Christmas Toys -- from Fauve Studios

I am so stuck on Etsy -- the online bazaar of handmade goodies.

Right here, right now, I invite you to my Esty Gallery, hosted by me! It's some of my favorite holiday paintings found on Etsy.

Here is an idea: During the holiday season, I like to take down my paintings I usually have up all year long, and replace them with holiday paintings and family photos of Christmas past. It is a wonderful way to add "history" to a space.

Scroll down to see my Etsy Gallery:

From Leaky Faucet, Nativity

From Aceo, Waiting for Santa




From Luluvillage, Mother and Child

From the Vintage Sister, The Sleigh Ride

From Wakulla, Partridge in a Pear

From Leepeirce, Poinsettia

From Lunatiqueart, Father Winter

From Donna Hickerson Original Christmas Art, Christmas Cityscape

From Wjcatnip, Wonder in Red and Green

From Eggman Studios, Lonely Peppermint Tree

From Fauve Studio, Christmas Toys

From 12 Fifteen, Winter Wonderland

From BaabaaCreations, Christmas Birds

To view more, see www.Etsy.com and search for "Christmas Paintings" or "Modern Christmas Paintings" and be inspired.