I Brake for Yard Sales

I recently got a chance to check out the design book 'I Brake for Yard Sales' by Lara Spencer.
Have you heard of it? 
Lara is a co-anchor for Good Morning America and design extraordinaire.

Blessed with amazing style and the ability to find
incredible pieces for your home on the cheap, Lara gives you the tricks of the trade,
helps you find and define your own style and recognize quality pieces.
Lara found these lamps from Goodwill for $10/each. 
The sofa was only $160 at a thrift shop and she had it recovered to match her room.
Club chairs and coffee tables, recovered and revived.

 

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If only I lived in a city full of great treasures (sigh).

I definitely own a few coveted 'diamonds' I've found around town, but nothing like Lara.

Still waiting to catch something on Craigslist that I have to
drive across town and purchase immediately.

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After recovering her kitchen chairs one too many times,

Lara covered them with laminated shower curtains!

(genius)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This green campaign style chest was a steal at $40

(painted and then covered with custom cut mirrored glass).

The mirror a sweet $22, and green vases: $2.50 each.

 

 

Retro wallpaper gives traditional furnishings a modern look.

 

 

Kathy Griffin's living room, designed by Lara Spencer.

 

 

Desk: $40

Lucite chair: $75

Club chair: $45

 

 

 

Am hoping to post more regularly throughout the holiday's.

Would love to get out and do a little yard sale-ing myself while I have some time off.

Merry Christmas friends!

 

discovered: House of Fifty

This morning I happened upon this online shelter magazine, House of Fifty.

The premier issue was published in Summer, 2011.

I looked through a few of the issues and was

pleasantly excited to find that I really like it.

You can purchase print copies (like you can at Lonny),

and I so desperately want to own them all.

premier issue.

dreamy blue chairs.

love: entire space.

 

does a cozier headboard exist?

I really dig the short curtains although I can't convince anyone else.  

(note to self: do an entire post on them...)



DIY tutorial.

and there is a crazy amount of cool art in every issue.

Have a good weekend!



Finishing the Attic with Bunk Beds and a Playroom.

Imagine if you had an entire second floor or attic

of your home, unfinished, with two big rooms

and darling dormer windows.

The entire space needs minimal work and your growing daughter will soon need a place for her and her friends to play and (stay up) all night.
Would you go with bunk beds or twin beds?
I love both...



There are so many directions you could go,

and whatever you decide, it will definitely be an adventure!



Small Projects

I've done a few projects around the house lately

to keep my 'decorating itch' happy.

I covered this dining chair I keep in the kitchen with a vintage pink bamboo fabric.  Found it for $5 on etsy!

I like the pink against the dark wood.

(and of course all things bamboo...)

I had a few small blank canvases and painted this

little guy for my bookcase.

This chair was loaned to me by a friend to put at Lucy's desk. 

She has the same one at her daughters desk.

And since we have eerily similar taste, we both chose this left over

striped fabric I had to cover them with.

Bench in the hallway that I can't find any 'before' pictures of.

I found this fabric at JoAnns for around $5, $8 tops?

Very cool dragon print. 

Spray painted these knobs a bright gold. 

(much better!)

And I have plans to trim the bench in brass nailheads at some point...

My Living Room

I finally have my living room to a place where I'm pretty happy with everything.

Oh, and this morning it was clean!  So I decided to snap some shots.

I got a faux bamboo etagere! 

I had a credit with a local consignment store and it was marked 50% off (YES!).

It had been in the store for a long time and I'd been keeping my eye on it.

Instead of painting it gold like I had imagined, I decided to keep the original chrome.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

I covered this lampshade with a piece of remnant snakeskin fabric.

I think it turned out great!

I added some black greek key ribbon to the

 edges of my Pottery Barn curtain panels.  

(found it at Hancock's for $2.99/yard)

Decided to take a whirl at painting a small black and white abstract.

I think it took about 10 min. and I kind of like it!

More ribbon.

I glued some leopard print (more remnant) fabric over this frame.

Fun and free way to spruce things up.

Only thing I'd add would be some crab figurines to my collection....
Other than that, DONE!