Redecorating? 5 reasons to consider an e-design

Lately I've spent a lot of time around our home which has lead me to think of ways to make it feel more homey and feel like us!  And, even though I work with people to style their spaces I've considered purchasing an e-design to help decorate my own space (can you believe that?!) Yeah, yeah, I know, we just remodeled our house but it would be nice to have someone source some items to hang on our walls. (I hate selecting artwork for us.)

If you're considering re-decorating and working with a professional interior decorator or stylist, here are 5 reasons to consider an e-design.

one | E-DESIGNS ARE INEXPENSIVE
While there are definitely benefits of working with a real, live interior stylist (like the fact they come to your house to decorate it) they can be spendy.  Working with a virtual stylist to create an e-design for your space is less expensive.  Ranging anywhere from $75 - $350/room depending on the virtual stylist you choose.

two | E-DESIGNS PROVIDE A VISUAL SHOPPING LIST
Do you ever go shopping for furniture, or anything for that matter, and say "I'll know it when I see it" and in fact, have really no idea what your looking for? I do that time and time again and always leave empty handed and frustrated.  E-designs provide you with a visual shopping list so you can purchase exact or like items.  This helps you to identify what you are looking for or can help you find a like item that can more easily fit into your budget.  They are especially handy if you like to shop local!

three | QUICK TURN AROUND TIME
Re-decorating can be a long process and often the part of the process that takes the longest is coming up with your design plan!  After you submit all of your information for an e-design you often will have a first look back within a couple of short weeks! Once you confirm your design and get your shopping list all it takes is ordering the items and decorating your home (the fun part!)

four | VIRTUALLY "INTERVIEW" THE STYLIST
I've heard too many times from people that they hired an interior decorator who came to their house and started decorating and in the end, they hated it because it wasn't their style.  Since there are a number of bloggers across the worldwide web who offer e-design services you can shop around until you find one who has a decorating style similar to yours. That's a win for everyone!

For e-designs for a variety of bloggers check out this pinterest board.

five | DECORATE ON YOUR OWN TIME
A lot of the e-design clients I work with take their time implementing the e-designs I create for them.  Often for budget purposes, waiting for items to go on sale or because of timing.  That's a huge benefit of working with a virtual stylist on an e-design - you can decorate on your own time, when you feel like it, and when you have the money!

For more information on my e-design services go here or send me an email at designyourdwellingblog (at) gmail.com!

Below are a few examples of the most popular e-designs I've done for clients. For more e-designs by Design Your Dwelling visit my Pinterest board!

DIY Glitter Vase

Let me introduce you to the easiest DIY project you will probably ever do - a glitter vase!

I found this little orb vase at Target (only sold in stores) and immediately had a vision of something sparkly with an oversize flower in it!  I should mention that even though this is a super simple DIY project, it has the potential to get very messy... glitter somehow gets everywhere and is impossible to get rid of!

Here is the how to!

Step three is important.  Use a paint brush with hard bristles to move the tacky glue around the vase, making sure to cover all of the space you want glitter to stick.  It doesn't have to be straight or perfect - the imperfections give it character!

Good luck!

Announcing Design-To-Go!

Happy Monday!! I hope you all had a great weekend.... we welcomed a new puppy to our family and went to a friends wedding.  All-in-all it was a pretty darn good weekend!

However, I am excited to kick off the week with a fun little announcement - I am adding "Design-To-Go" to my little interior design blog!  A personal goal of mine is to start a virtual interior design business as an extension of my blog so I can continue to inspire people to live a beautiful life by helping them design a space they love to live in.

Here is how it works...

Every month I will add new virtual room designs to my Design To Go page.  The design will include paint, furniture, flooring, lighting, accessories, everything that a custom mood board would include.

For only $25 everyone will have the opportunity to purchase the design!  With your purchase you will receive a JPG file of the design board, the shopping list for all of the items in the space, and a series of design tips that will help you pull the space together.

To purchase, send an email to designyourdwellingblog (at) gmail.com with "Design To Go" in the subject line.  Once I receive payment through PayPal I will send you the design board, shopping list, and design tips!

Here are the first two designs that are available to you for purchase...

Living Room

(Design available until 8/12/13 - Slight revisions can be made for $10/item or paint color)

Home Office

(Design available until 8.12.13 - Slight revisions can be made for $10/item or paint color)

To purchase either (or both) of these designs, email designyourdwellingblog (at) gmail.com.

I am definitely excited to launch Design To Go! What do you think?!

P.S. - Custom mood boards are still available. :)

Client Update: Rustic Glam Living Room

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you a client update for a rustic glam kitchen.  While we were in the process of updating the kitchen Lisa decided to have a design board done for the living room too!  Since her home has an open floor plan we decided to keep the rustic glam theme throughout the entire space.

There are so many elements of this room I love - pillows, and the mix of modern elements, like the side table, with rustic elements, like coffee table. I can't wait to see how it comes out!

Out of respect for my clients, I do not share source lists.  However, if you would like your own custom design board, I would love to create one for you and I have a few openings for July! Check out my E-Design page here.

Client Update - Modern Living Space

I just completed a design that totally pushed me out of my comfort zone and guess what?! It was SO fun and has completely inspired my love of color! :)

The design clients purchased this design from a silent auction that was hosted by my office for breast cancer awareness month.  It feels so good to work with people who love to do good for others.

Out of respect for my clients, I do not share the item source list.  However, if you are interested in your own custom design board I would love to help you out.  Go here to get started or email me at designyourdwellingblog (at) gmail.com! :)

Hope you all have a fantastic week ahead! :)

Vintage Finds - Where They Ended Up!

A week or so ago I went to a vendor show being held in my local community and came across these awesome vintage finds!   I was especially thrilled to find the suitcase.  I had been looking for one to hold cards at our wedding. Two ladies started this small business called Dumpster Divas.  Their hobby is going to sales and re-purposing items they find - they so many awesome items!

Right after I got home I took a quick picture and uploaded it to Instagram (@beth_dydblog) and told everyone to "stay tuned" to find out where they sweet finds ended up in my home! Here is where they are now...

The spiral bud vase in part of a little vignette on my dining room table.  I replaced the original flower stem with a $2 peony stem from WalMart.  

My original plan for the tin drawer was to fill it with ice and use it as a wine cooler but after trying that out during a ladies night I hosted, I found out it leaks.  Now I need to find a new purpose for it... Oh well - it's still super cute!

I have never really be into the empty frame look but I loved the color of this blue one and now I love the style of empty frames and think I would like to do a little more decorating with them.  A whole collage maybe?! This one ended up on the night stand in the guest bedroom.  This frame will be super easy to re-purpose  (I'll show you my "spring" guest bedroom next week!)

As for the suitcase, it's sitting in my office, waiting for our wedding! 

DIY State Art

It's been awhile since I've shared a DIY project with you all so I thought this would be a fun little post this week!

We recently finished our new entryway (I hope to get a post up soon) and I've slowly begun the decorating process.  I've had a vision for this DIY project going into our entryway for a long time.  It's really easy and only takes an afternoon to complete.

What you need >>

Canvas

Old map of your state (of course you can buy a new one, but they are expensive.)

Chipboard letters (you can buy a whole package at Hobby Lobby)

Red construction paper

White spray paint

Mod Podge and sponge brush

What to do >>

Step 1| Glue your chipboard letters to to your canvas.

Step 2| Spray paint your canvas with white spray paint. You many need to spray a few light coats to give it the best possible coverage.

Step 3| While the spray paint is drying cut out your state and your little "marker." I used a heart.

Step 4| Once the spray paint is try, Mod Podge the spot on your canvas where you wan the state and immediately lay put your state on the canvas.  

Step 5| Using your sponge brush, apply a layer of Mod Podge over the state and lay your "marker" down on top of your town. Let the Mod Podge dry.

Step 6| Add another layer of Mod Podge and let it dry.

Step 7| Hang this awesome piece of DIY state art on your wall!

Pretty simple, but looks great! :)  

If you decide to do this DIY project, I would love to see it!  Send it to me on Twitter or post it on the Design Your Dwelling Facebook page!

Seating Area Design Board + Source List

I'm spending more and more time creating design boards lately!  I often come across a piece of furniture, pillow, accessory, or in the case a rug, that inspires me and I come up with a design board.  This is a look at a causal seating area I pulled together after I found myself inspired by an inexpensive rug from Urban Outfitters. 

Zig Zag Rug | Urban Outfitters

Armless Upholstered Chair | Target

Gold A-Line Floor Lamp | Shades of Light

Yellow Pouf | Lulu and Georgia

Traders Chest | Anthropologie

Starburst Mirror | Target

Twilight Art Print | Target

Rocking Bird | West Elm

Ikat Lumbar Pillow Cover | Etsy

Side Table | West Elm

Vases | West Elm

If you are interested in having a room design pulled together specifically for you and your personal taste, I do that too!  Check out my design services page! Also, if you would like this image as a .jpg for your reference, send an email to designyourdwellingblog (at) gmail.com

My Favorite Design Books

I love books - especially interior design related books!  Here are my favorite reads and why I like them!

Young House Love| John and Sherry do a fantastic job with their blog and their fun, energetic, and creative style is all over in this book!  They offer up easy step-by-step projects, let you know how long it takes to complete and an idea of what it might cost.  There is a ton of inspiration here!

The Nest Home Design Handbook| This book is laid out room by room and is a great book to get down the basics of home design.  Even if you don't have an eye for home design, this handbook will help you get organized and inspired!  I've read and re-read this one!

Southern Living Style| This magazine spin-off is full of pictures of modern rooms which results in a ton of inspiration.  My favorite part is their step-by-step guide for pulling together each room in your house so you can get exactly the look you want!

The other bonus these books offer is that they are pretty and make great table top books! :) Here is a post I previously did with ideas to decorate with books!

If you click on the book title, it will bring you to amazon to purchase!  Happy Reading!

New Gallery Wall + Tips and Tricks to Hang Your Own

I hope you all had a good weekend after a short work week.  I think every week should only be three days, I am so much more productive! :)

My big project over Christmas vacation was to hang a gallery wall in our master bedroom.  Good timing too since my fiance took notice that our guest bedroom was more decorated than our bedroom.  That statement sounded like permission to pound all sorts of holes in our walls so I went for it!

Here is what the space looked like before I hung the wall.

Yep, definitely some un-used wall space but I wanted to put some thought into what I wanted to do with it before pounding holes. As much as I like to change things and move them around, I am learning that I need to leave things alone for a little awhile.

I had some great pictures from our summer vacation that I turned black and white and recently bought a few printables for $5.00 each as a fundraiser and here is what I came up with!

Oh yeah... I did a little water color painting too and re-purposed the large "LOVE" print from our dining room. (Yes, that means I hung up something new there too. I'll save that for another post...)  I love the outcome, it is so fresh, clean and personal! :)  I bought most of the frames from Target and a few Canopy brand frames from Walmart.

Believe it or not, I didn't pound any extra holes in the wall!  I really took time to think out my game-plan before I started swinging the hammer.  Here are the tools you need and a few tips and tricks to make it easy on yourself.

Levels - small and large

Pencil

Hammer

Tape measure

Nails

Magic eraser

(tape, tweezer, staplegun for frame repairs)

Here are a few tips that will help to make hanging a gallery wall a little easier for you.

1. Create your layout on the floor first and then snap a picture of it with your phone so you remember what you want it to look like.

2. Hang your largest picture at eye level first since it is more than likely your focal point.  You can more easily hang the rest of your pictures from there. 

3. It's easier to hang your gallery wall pictures randomly (not in a straight or level line) It will leave a lot less room for errors (and extra holes in your walls), I promise.

4. Magic erasers work great for cleaning up extra marks and scuffs. :)

Holiday House Tour of Our Home

Welcome to the virtual holiday tour of our home! I would be fibbing if I told you that I transformed my home into a winter wonderland.  Instead, we just add a little Christmas decor here and there to make it feel festive.

Enjoy...

Instead of going all-out with personal ornaments this year, I kept the tree pretty simple with a few traditional ornaments and snowflakes to give an ombre effect.

I always have a DIY project going... this was a simple paper mache letter project.  All you need is paper mache letters, Christmas scrapbook paper, and mod-podge.

Instead of changing out all of my current decor, I just mix in a few Christmas colors.

Our dining room table is pretty simple... and for some reason I can't resist hanging things over the back of chairs (below).

At night, the lights behind the sheers look awesome and so wedding-esk!

My new Christmas card display idea consists of ribbon and clothes pins on a door.  Love it!!

I'm pretty sure I have an ornament of some sort  hung over every door knob in our house.  Since we forgot to put a doorbell on the outside of the house when we were building the garage and entry (can you believe we forgot, who forgets that! ha!!) the bells on the door have come in handy!

The wreath serves as a nice little buffer over the window so we don't look straight into the garage.

Please don't mind my modest, unfinished entry way.  As I write this post, the trim is getting put up and that will mark the project complete - probably the best Christmas present I will receive! :)  

I hope you enjoyed this quick holiday house tour! :)

Client Home: Celebrating Christmas

Over the last week I had the opportunity to help a client decorate her home for a local Christmas tour of homes.  Here is a virtual tour of her home all gussied up for Christmas!

Their home is a beautiful Victorian home. They have completely remodeled the second and third floor of their home as well as the kitchen so it didn't take much to beautify this home for "tourists" since they were most interested in the remodeling that has taken place. Regardless, we did make sure to bring the feel of Christmas into each room of their home.  Here are some of the highlights!

Entryway

Family Room

This room is the first room you step into when you enter their home.  She had a vision for the tree to be decorated in gold so we did just that and added in some silver so the tree would shimmer and shine.  Plus, you can see the tree from the outside window.  To add a fun element to the tree, I found these snowflakes and believe it or not, they are gift tags!  While we decorated the house, her two daughters made these DIY coasters.

Dining Room Table

We kept the table simple with a festive flare.  I found the red metallic burlap fabric at JoAnn fabrics and ordered enough to make two table runners.  The centerpiece was easy - all we did was spray paint paint wine bottles.  For place markers, we filled clear ornaments with faux snow, wrote names on them and attached tied them to the back of the chairs.

Buffet Table

The buffet in the dining room is a beautiful antique piece of furniture.  Our favorite element on this buffet is the reindeer silhouette. (I'll share the tutorial!) Simple things like holiday serving platters make all the difference when decorating your home for the holidays - they are so festive and fun!

Christmas Card Display

This idea for displaying Christmas cards was so easy and so unique!  It adds a ton of holiday flare to the kitchen without getting in the way of functionality.  All you need is Christmas ribbon, clothes pins, and painters tape!

Family Tree

Family trees are my favorite!  I love all of the memories that they hold! :)

I hope you enjoyed this holiday home tour and found some ideas to use in your home!  If you have questions about any of the decorations like how-to's or where we found something, leave a comment below!

Fall Guest Bedroom

Welcome back from the weekend!

If you follow me on Facebook you've probably been reading a few posts about my desire to decorate a bedroom for fall/winter after paging through the most recent Pottery Barn catalog.  Well, I did it and I love it!  

Plaid Flannel Sheets: Target // Brown Paisley Shams: West Elm // White duvet: Target // Grey afghan: gift

Yellow Canvas Print: Target (old) // Lamp & lamp shade: Target // Greyhound statue: Target

Plaid Scarf: mall kiosk

Wood tray: Target // Plaid scarf: mall kiosk

The whole room update cost around $50 - flannel sheets, lamp shade, and wood tray.  I already had pretty much everything I wanted in the room is just a matter of re-purposing it from another space in my house.  The plaid scarves added the extra warm feel that I was going for and they aren't as bulky as a throw might be.  

I wish that I could have decorated our master bedroom for fall, but flannel sheets and a down comforter don't go over well with the "Mr."

So - who wants to be a guest this fall?! :)

Entryway Design Plan

We are getting soooo close to having our garage and entryway done.  I am getting excited to have my house back so I can clean up the construction dust.  With the end in sight, I've come up with an entryway design plan so it will be done once and for all!

Before I show you the design board, here is a look at the new entryway (before it was sheet rocked.)

We decided it would be smart to connect the garage to the house via a breezeway.  We were going to leave our original entryway door in place and just use the breezeway as a walk thru to the house.

Then we decided to open up the house to extend our entryway and add a closet.  (Old houses have no storage.)  You can see that the original entryway ended where the tile is.

We added a little stampcrete patio between the house and the garage and put in a sliding door to let in a lot of natural light.  I love it.  We are still trying to decide if we want to do a laminate flooring or tile.  Any suggestions?

Now that you've seen the structure, here is the design board to show you how the entryway will look when it is all said and done!

What do you think?!

PS... Don't forget about the 2 FREE E-design boards I am giving away on the Design Your Dwelling Facebook page and via this post!