Genius Idea

When Jen of Made by Girl, shared a few shots of her new home office, I was instantly drawn to her luxe mousepad...

Can you believe it was actually a little DIY project?? She made it using a piece of an old handbag pasted onto an existing mousepad! What a creative way to upcycle!

Source for Affordable Art

Have you heard of Zatista.com yet? It's a great source for original and affordable artwork. Here's a few of my favorites from their Under $250 section:

(1) Yipes Stripes painting, oil on canvas $70; (2) Wise Math Print, digital on paper $35; (3) Sunrise Over the Peninsula painting, oil on wood panel $150; (4) You Should Think On painting, acrylic on canvas $250; (5) Scattered Light painting, oil $250; (6) Quiet on the Lake painting, acrylic on canvas $125 (7) Viola painting, acrylic on canvas $125; (8) Summer Roses painting, oil on wood panel $175

P.S. If you're an artist, you can sell your art on their site.

Pillow Love: Get the Look for Less

I've admired the beautiful Sheesha pillows ever since I first saw 'em in the living room below. Unfortunately though the price tag on these babies is a bit more than I am able and willing to shell out for a pillow. John Robshaw sells a 20x20 version (pictured below right) for $200 (each!) and Jayson Home and Garden sells 'em for $250 for the 20x20 version and $345 for the 26x26 version (yikes!).

L: Karin Kohlberg via Page Six Magazine; R: John Robshaw Sheesha pillow $200

home of Karen of the blog The Art of Doing Stuff

Recently I was excited to find a few pillows that have a similar look for much much less. West Elm sells the Bijoux Dots Pillow (below left) for $34.00, and Etsy seller The Home Centric sells the White Mirrors Throw Pillow (below right) for $33.20 as well as the Light Beige Reflections Throw Pillow for $33.20 to $39.90 (price depending on size).

L: Bijoux-Dots Pillow Cover $34.00; R: White Mirrors Throw Pillow $33.20

P.S. I'm loving the large selection at The Home Centric! Check out her shop for more fabulous pillows!

Peek Inside Coco Rocha's Home

Woohoo! Aren't you glad it's Friday? I sure am! I'll leave you with photographs from a Vogue shoot featuring a peek inside the apartment of model Coco Rocha and artist James Conran. The home has a great mix of pieces: estate sale finds, like candle holders that once belonged to Andy Warhol; funky handmade art, like the dress form covered in pennies and decorated with peacock feathers; antique books and furniture; as well as affordable buys like the eight mirrors in the living room from Crate & Barrel.

photography by Claiborne Swanson Frank for vogue found via the decorista

Have a beautiful weekend!

Alternative Placement of Full Length Mirrors

Came across these photos of an executive suite at the Hotel de Rome in Berlin and was immediately drawn. I absolutely love how designer Olga Polzzi used multiple rectangular mirrors placed in perfect alignment to the desk, to create a bold statement in the space. It's such a great alternative to using one large mirror.

photos via hotel de rome

This can easily be re-created on a budget using inexpensive full-length mirrors you can find at a store like Target. Sure they're designed to be hung vertically on the back of your door, but who says you can't hang them horizontally? Buy three of the same kind and try them over a desk, dresser, or entry table. Just make sure you pay attention to scale and proportion. Ideally the mirrors should line up to (be the same width as) the piece you're placing them over.

Source for Budget Friendly Decor

Did you know there's an Elle Decor collection at Kohls? I haven't seen it in person yet but from what I can tell online it may be worth taking a look at. Here are my picks:

L: storage ottoman $91; R: faux fur pillow $35

L: box $28; R: glass frame $15


L: pillar candleholder $42;R: marble accent table $104

To see the entire collection, click here.

DIY Artwork: Tonal Concentric Squares

Given my love for the pillows mentioned in this post its no surprise I'm drawn to this artwork:

photo of Kevin Sharkey's apartment via Martha Stewart

It's a similar idea; tonal concentric squares. What I love is that the color combos are endless and it's an easy DIY paint or Photoshop project. Great way to inject color into a space!

BTW you can find pillows similar to the ones in the above mentioned post over at Jonathan Adler:

The cool thing? The colors are customizable!

Sofa Transformation

This morning I thought I'd share with you a few snapshots of a client living room transformation I currently have in progress. So far we've had new flooring put in, had the walls painted a lovely tint of blue, and most recently, made-over the outdated sofas using slipcovers and and new pillows. Below is the before and after of one of the sofas:

Before

After

I love that slipcovers and accessories allow you to update a space without spending money on completely new furniture. The pillows were surprising finds at Ross (you can't really tell from the picture but the middle pillow shown above has such a cool texture and the two blue ones are incredibly soft!) and the client made the slipcovers herself using dark brown fabric she scored for less than $10 a yard. There's still lots to do in this room, (like update or replace the entertainment center, have curtains made, bring in a rug, artwork, etc.), but I'll be sure to share the final result once it's all done!

Chic Coffee Table Book / Artwork

A beautifully colorful book for your coffee table or perhaps...for doing something like this ;-)

Get the Look {for Less}: Olivia Palermo's Living Room Tray

I can only imagine how much a vintage Hermes tray found in the Hamptons runs, but I'm willing to bet it's nowhere near the $35 price tag of this lovely orange lacquered one.

L: Karin Kohlberg via Page Six Magazine ; R: Liba Style Round Laquered Tray

A chic little affordable option for bringing in a pop of color don't you think?

The Pieces

Thank you everyone for all your sweet comments regarding yesterday's post! Most everything was purchased on a budget {i.e. sales, discount codes, Michael's 40% off coupons!}. Here's a little breakdown of the pieces:

The Basics: The white desk with drawers is from Overstock.com {pictured below left}, which is very similar to the West Elm Parsons desk {pictured above} and nearly half the cost. The chair {below right} is the Clear Tobias from Ikea and the white shelves are also from Ikea.

Storage: The white files {pictured below left} are from Ikea, the blue boxes {below middle} are from the Martha Stewart Collection at Michael's, the red files {below right} are from Ikea, the black and white boxes {not pictured here} are from Michael's. The black filling cabinet I've had forever -I think it came from a thrift store {someday it'll be replaced but for now it's in great working condition so it'll do}

Desk Accessories: The monogrammed cup {pictured below left} and coaster {below middle} are from Anthropologie, the stapler and tape dispenser {below left} are from Discount Office Supplies

Other: The frames are from Michael's, the bulletin board {which you can use dry erase markers on!} is from Ikea, and the lamp is a few years old and is from the Thomas O'Brien Collection for Target

Get the Look {on a Budget}: Blue Chandeliers

I love blue chandeliers -they make gorgeous stand-out pieces...

via here

via here

via here

...they can be pretty expensive though. Those made of murano glass, for example, can set you back a couple of thousands. Luckily there are more affordable options for getting the look.

This Crystal Drop Chandelier from Anthropologie is moderately priced at $998.00

This Hampton Bay Routtura 3-light chandelier in blue/chrome from Home Depot is a lovely little bargain at $106.00

This Blue Beaded Chandelier from Statements by J is a steal at $80.00 -it's on sale right now {through Tuesday} over at HauteLook, reduced 55% from $179.00.

Beautiful, no? They're the kind of pieces you could design a room around.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!