Posts Tagged ‘Contemporay Design’

Tis the season for wedding showers.  Although it is all about the bride, if you are hosting the party, you want to welcome your guests to a fun, friendly and beautiful atmosphere.

The best advice for planning any party, big or small is to plan a theme and choose a color scheme.  This is especially a good idea with a shower.  Just like any interior decorating project, a theme and color idea will keep you focused and simplify the process.

If you don’t want to do the same-old/same-old bridal thing, you gotta think outside the box.

For something truly different, choose an “Initial” theme.  Although you can find lots of things with letters, vintage hankies are unique.  Up until the last few decades, women used to carry handkerchiefs with them at all times.  Now that we don’t do that anymore, you can find tons of hankies at antique shops and flea markets. Ask your grandmother for hers!

Handkerchiefs come in all sizes, colors and initials

The best thing with hankies is they become the party favor and place setting all rolled into one!

Once the guest list is set, you will know which letters to look for.  What you can’t find, you can embroider on an old plain one.  If you or your friends don’t sew, look for an iron-on letters at the craft store.

They can be found in every color and style

If the hankies are big enough and in good condition, use them as the napkin.

If the hankies are big enough, they can stand alone as napkins

Chances are they won’t be, so pair them up with regular napkins.  Use a napkin ring or ribbon.

If the hankies are too small or fragile, fold them up with regular napkins

Use a simple napkin ring or ribbon to hold the two together

White hankies can be paired with your color theme

Or wrap them around a pair of candles…

Candles are great party favors

Or soap!  Two party favors in one!  Be sure to use unscented soap so it doesn’t compete or over power your lunch!

Initial hankies make personal party favors

Tuck in a silk flower for added color

Have your guests find their place at the table, by looking for their initial.  Sort of a grown-up musical chairs (except everyone gets a seat)!

Next time,  invitations!

A quick way to update an existing lamp shade is to add trim.  The addition of gold cord and tassels to this simple red shade makes it more formal and stately.  Have fun; there are lots of fabulous, colorful trims you can add to any shade.  A hot glue gun is the only tool you need to go from plain to regal or funky!

Dress up a lamp shade with trim and cord

Pastels With Punch

Pink and grey are perfect for an Easter meal.

An easy way to introduce retro into your home decorating is at the dinner table.  Unpack grandma’s good china and use it every day.  Sets of dishes from the 50s and 60s can be found for a song at flea markets, resale stores and antique shops.  Make an investment before the market realizes their popularity and their value sky rockets.

Check out the little handle on this bowl. It's a perfect dish for kids.

Speaking of bargains, I love this set of pink and grey dishes I found at Goodwill.  Although they are unmarked, the hand drawn lines are reminiscent of a few decades past.  The best part of collecting dishes, it doesn’t matter if they coordinate with your interior design, dishes do not have to match anything!

The touch of grey keeps the place setting from being too feminine.

What could be more perfect for an Easter luncheon?  The square salad plate offers a nice contrast to the round dishes.  Even if I don’t serve a meal with multiple courses, I still use lots of dishes just to make the setting more interesting.  If you aren’t having a salad, save the plate for dessert.

The most interesting tables have layers and contrast. The square salad plate gives an edginess to all the curves.

If your dining room table has a beautiful finish, no need to cover it up with a table cloth.  These pink linen napkins are big enough to serve as place mats and offer a nice contrast.

The napkins almost looks like bunny ears!

There are dozens of ways to fold napkins.   Tucking a grey cotton napkin into a frosted polka dot glass keeps the table from being too serious.

Instead of the usual Easter basket, serve candy in old-fashion apothecary jars.

Have fun with your centerpiece.  Instead of flowers, fill apothecary jars with jelly beans, chocolate eggs and Easter grass.

Plastic Easter eggs can hold love sentiments, notes of thanks or even gift cards.

Hide little surprises in the plastic eggs for your family to discover while you’re dining.

Celebrate the season the old-fashion way with Retro dishes.

Celebrate the season!

Create your own award show party

Movie fans all over the country eagerly watch the Academy Awards ceremony on TV.  I’m a big movie fan, but the TV show does nothing for me personally.  I like to see what the women are wearing and who won the major awards and  I’m always curious to find out if any of the movies I’ve seen during the year are nominated. But I can get the scoop Monday on a morning news show.

Create a glitzy and elegant bar

I like to make the event more fun by hosting an Oscar party.  It’s the perfect opportunity for a wine or champagne tasting party (it gives guests something to do during the boring segments of the show!).  Have everyone bring a bottle of their favorite beverage.  Since it’s Sunday night and no one will want to dress up, tell your gal pals to get decked out in all the bling they can find.  The more glitz, the better.  Even diamonds look great with jeans!

I pulled this little bar together in half an hour with things I found around my house.  You know me, I love to entertain so I have lots of stuff to set all kinds of tables, but you will be surprised at what you own too.  It doesn’t matter what your interior design looks like, carve out a little piece of Hollywood glamor in your own family room.

Find any little table for a make shift bar

Gold lame is the foundation for an Oscar theme party

Place a table near your TV for easy access.  I covered mine with a gold vinyl tablecloth I bought at Goodwill (I used it for a Mardi Gras party a few years ago).

Glass reflects the gold and light

Then find all the gold, silver and crystal you have stashed away.  What better occasion to use the “fancy” stuff than a celebrity style party.

Crystal candlesticks can be picked up for a song at Goodwill and antique stores.  Choose a variety of sizes to give height to the table.  I added a pair of mismatched silver tapers, but you can use gold ones too.

Serve drinks in your best glasses

Every table, even a bar needs height

Bring out your best champagne flutes and wine glasses.  A pewter compote topped with a
silver tray makes an elegant way to display glasses.  Throw on whatever jewelry you aren’t wearing.  It’s all about the bling, baby!

Bring out all the gold and silver accessorizes you can find

Even simple snacks look elegant in a cut crystal candy dish.  Pull out all the stops.

Pretzels become gourmet food when served in a beautiful dish!

Scatter gold stars and faux diamonds around the table for more shimmer and shine.

Throw lots of confetti around the table.

As your guests discuss the bouquet, clarity and body of the wine, be sure they jot down their comments in a wine journal.  In fact, these make great party favors.  Give one to each person as they arrive.  Everyone leaves with details about the bottles they tasted and will remember the ones they liked best.  Tally the votes and announce the winning wine with drum roll and fancy envelope.

Have party journals on hand for guests to write in

Hand out wine journals to everyone

For the fun of it, invest in a movie journal too.  Have each person critique their favorite or worse movie of the year.

You can record the winning movies or write about your favorites that didn't get nominated

I took down the painting I had on the wall behind my make-shift bar (didn’t go with the theme) and added a carved gold frame from an old picture to fill in the blank.  You can use a movie  poster  for a backdrop.

Even an empty frame can be a piece of art!

This frame might not fit your interior design, but it really works for this party!

My challenge was to create a fun party setting without spending any money on props.  You can serve caviar or potato chips, Dom Perignon or diet soda.  Doesn’t matter, get carried away with the theme, invite the neighbors and have fun cheering or jeering!

Make it as glamorous as you can

This setting is reminiscent of the 1930s

If you’re sending your teenager off to college this fall, I don’t have to talk to you about expenses.  Everything about higher education is costly, but furnishing a dorm room doesn’t need to break the bank.  You know how I love to “re-purpose” an item (find a new use for something).  You also know I’m a flea market and antique junkie and Goodwill is one of my favorite places to shop.

Rearrange the furniture to create floor space. By lofting the beds, we had room to add a couple of chairs and area rugs. Throw a couple of pillows on the floor and you have seating for several friends.

I have been working with Goodwill SEW along with Marquette and Carroll Universities creating dorm showrooms entirely furnished with items purchased at Goodwill stores.   The average cost has been around $200 for two students living in the space!  It takes a little time to shop, but the savings are amazing.  Why spend a bundle of money now when you know your student will want something different next year?

It's amazing how much money you can save with smart shopping. We did an the whole room for under $200! Have a game plan and color scheme in mind when shopping.

Most dorm room furniture can be moved around and beds can be lofted for more floor space.

Lofted or bunk beds free up the floor. Talk to your room mate about color choices and who will bring the important stuff like the TV, refrigerator and chairs!

I found a green folding chair and a second one I covered with a blanket.  You might find a love seat size sofa or a comfy arm chair to fit your space.

Posters add personality to your dorm room without breaking the bank. Be sure to find out what you can use to hang pictures from the housing staff!

Once you choose a color scheme, shopping is easier and faster when you concentrate on your particular colors and you will be amazed at how many accessories you will find.

Each student gets a desk and shelving at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Plenty of room to organize books, toiletries and personal items.

Personalize your space with photos and items that are important to you.

Arrange your furniture to get the most floor space. Separating your desks will give each of you a little privacy.

Use colorful baskets and containers to hold your toiletries and towels.

The hunt is half the fun!

Shabby Chic has been around for quite awhile.  It started when Rachel Ashwell took old, chipped paint flea market finds and made them fashionable.  What I don’t care for is when people try too hard to recreate old patina.  It can’t be done.  What’s the point of finding an old dresser, stripping off layers of paint, sanding it smooth and re-painting and re-sanding and pretend you found it that way!  Why bother?

I love old rusty architectural pieces.  I’m drawn to old, peeling paint on iron or wood artifacts.  I love the quiet elegant of pieces that wear their age in layers.  You can find all kinds of things at flea markets and antique stores.  You just have to keep your eyes open to discovery.  Look at the sculptural character in an item. Think of the pieces as artwork.   Old pieces work in interiors or on the porch.  It’s OK to mix and match.  A rusty old antique offers a unique contrast in a contemporary setting.

Remember the old adage, “one woman trash is another woman’s treasure”.

Tin crown molding shelf

Part of an old iron register or gate?

Create a wall collage with your vintage iron work by adding old architechturall stars.

Many, many thanks to the people who helped Susan and me with our Artist Studio at the Milwaukee Breast Cancer Showhouse this year.  It was a great success!

Neu’s Hardware Gallery — glass drawer pulls as drapery hardware

Glass drawer pulls as drapery hardware!

Duralee Fabrics — beautiful fabrics
New Threads — fabulous draperies

Jane from New Threads

Janet from New Threads

Carrie Storm's art

Carrie Storm — art

Sue Ellinger and Jean Hass– wonderful sewing skills

World Market, Southridge — accessories and furniture

World Market Southridge

Sara Pudlosky and Dave — extra hands to help move in
Zach Cvetan and Brandon Hessil — for providing muscle power to help us move out

Zach and Brandon helped haul the heavy stuff

The Milwaukee Breast Cancer Showhouse has 30 distinct spaces that area designers pour their hearts and souls into to raise money for breast cancer research.  It takes months of planning, building, painting, hauling furniture and accessories and hanging yards and yards of drapery treatments to create beautiful rooms.

Abigail Klode of Abigail Klode Interiors designed a beautiful and peaceful Master Sitting Room.  She layered multiple shades of grey and combined contemporary and traditional furniture.  The trend toward replacing the coffee table with an upholstered ottoman couldn’t get any classier than this custom leather piece with nailheads.

Master Sitting Room -- Serene and Peaceful

The Phillip Jefferies grass cloth on the walls sets off the turquoise triptych by artist Jason Rohlfs.  His artwork is currently on exhibit at Tory Folliard Gallery.  The color and movement in his work adds just the right touch of whimsy to the calm setting.

I love how Abigail complements the sleek sofa with her great-grandfather’s desk chair.  He started Klode Furniture years ago.  She thought it would give the room good juju!

Who couldn’t imagine spending time reading or lounging in this space?  Great juju!

http://www.abigailklode.com

You don’t need a special occasion to set a nice table.  Nice doesn’t have to mean fancy or extravagant or even expensive.  It doesn’t take much effort to make any meal festive.  Use what you have.  If you don’t have much, start collecting.  Every time I shop, I head for the clearance table.  You never know when you will stumble upon placemats or napkins at bargain prices.

You can use any fabric for a table cloth

At a recent dinner for six, I looked in my stash of fabrics.  I had purchased yards of the black and white check fabric several years ago for an outdoor party.  I cut off a length to fit my table.  If you have the time and know-how, hem up the edges for a neat finish.  If not, use pinking shears.  The zig-zag cut will keep the fabric from raveling.

Make your own table runner with remnants

The colorful pennants are remnants from another outdoor party with a nautical theme.  I simply laid them down the middle of the table to create a unique runner.

A simple knot can be elegant

Consider white dinnerware and white and black napkins basic accessories to your dinnerware wardrobe.  Whenever I find 8 or 12 matching plates or napkins at a great price, I snatch them up.  Like earrings and handbags, you just can’t have too many!

Place cards can be as easy as a tag from the office supply store

Fancy folded napkins are fun, but when you’re quickly throwing the table together, a simple knot and placed on the plate will do.  Don’t overlook the office supply store for tableware accessories.  Tags are perfect for place cards.  So simple, yet your guests will be wowed!

Yellow roses add a festive touch

Add yellow roses and candle light for atmosphere, throw in good friends, fine wine and a yummy meal and memories are sure to be made!

Select pebbles to match the table decor for your candle dishes

One of the biggest challenges of furnishing a room for a showhouse is finding enough furniture and accessories to fill the space.  For designers like Susan and I, who don’t have a store or showroom, we “depend on the kindness of strangers”.  (Don’t you just love Blanche’s line in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire?)

We didn't have any trouble finding lots of color at World Market

World Market came to our rescue and provided us with anything we needed.  Katherine and Ali were so much fun to work with and loaned us a desk and chair, table,  cabinet and all kinds of accessories

Ali was a great help with picking out furniture.

The desk "Before"

We didn’t paint the walls or the ceiling and the furniture we brought in was dark wood and wicker.  So accessories and fabric had to carry the color load.

You don’t have to spend lots of money to get a really great space.  I know it’s a cliché, but once you start “thinking outside the box,” you will find all kinds of clever ways to decorate.  The basic desk and chair are OK, but add a dining table runner and it becomes “Wow!”

The desk "After" -- Wow!

This little cabinet takes the place of the missing closet

The corner cabinet really popped with colorful towels, books and girly stuff.

A colorful vignette on the cabinet top.

Think odd numbers when creating a display.  Things always look better in odd number groups whether you are arranging items on a mantle, dresser or bookshelf.  The lunch box can hold all kinds of trinkets.  A few touches of lime green offered a nice contrast to all the purple and orange.

The house opens to the public June 6.  Stayed tuned for more of the big reveal!