Thursday, October 30, 2008

bedding on a budget....


so as much as i wish i could make my bed up in leontine linens or matouk, its not really in my deck of cards right now. i was trying to think how i could get the look of these beautiful beds w/out the hefty price tag. to me, what really stands out in these beds are the beautiful monogram shams. so once again, you have to be creative and hunt to find them.

one of the best places to start is tuesday mornings, as erika let us in on. they carry a ton of high end name brand linens. the "hotel" style (white w/ a colored border) can be found at a lot of other discount stores too (tj maxx, marshalls) and mail order catalogs (restoration hardware, pottery barn). often you will find in the clearance section, shams marked way down. take the time and find two that you really love and then go to a local monogramming spot and add the creative part.

instead of doing a generic monogram, try doing one w/ a little more detail. print out the monogram page on leontine's website and see if your place can recreate the look (to even branch out more, try the monogram in an accent color). place the shams on your bed w/ a solid coverlet and add a pouch of color at the end of the bed w/ a blanket or duvet and you will have a custom look for a lot less....

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

getting the look for way less....




so during these times, we have to be smart on what we are spending our money on. and it's no news to me, that design might be taking a back seat. but i thought i could share w/ y'all some ways i try and beat the system....

thanks to my site meter (a site that lets me track where my readers are coming from), i was able to find my dream desk (well, part of it)!! i am so excited to show y'all my vintage chrome sawhorse legs...as i am sure y'all know, i have been longing for this desk forever. one day, i saw i was getting hits from craig's list and to my dismay these beauties were in the ad...but they were located in atlanta. so thankfully, my super sweet mother met up w/ the nice guy and the exchange happened making me the proud owner of my dream desk. i am now scouting out the local habitats for a glass top....but for $150, my desk is a lot easier to swallow than the 1st dibs price tag that i couldn't even begin to touch.

alternative ways to great design is definitely not a new concept but i think its fun to retouch on ways to be creative. in case y'all don't know or are just tuning in- i am a fanatic thrift store shopper/ habitat scourer/ yard sale junkie (as well as fellow bloggers like eddie and my design hero ruthie sommers). if you cringe going into these kinds of stores, this method is not for you...but if you are willing to get dirty, be patient, and look past really ugly fabric- you will be shocked at what you find. especially if you are a name dropper...hickory chair, baker, taylor king, dwell studio, circa lighting are just a few i have found in the past month. the only problem is, if you want it, you better buy it then. i am still sad about a camel back love seat i left last week...it had great lines and chippendale legs. i immediately envisioned the cover of the first domino (i adored that sofa). when i went back two days later to try and get it (thinking if it's there, it's meant to be), well it wasn't....

so don't get discourage when money is tight....you can get the "look"- whether's its craig's list, ebay, or thrift stores...it's out there- you just have to be willing to find it!

Monday, October 27, 2008

things that inspire me....










so i think in the tough times that we are facing and might continue to face in the future, a source of encouragement is much needed. as an interior designer, i think it is our job to be creative with how to address the future in design. high end/ luxury items that are offered in this business are a lot harder to swallow when the economy is like it is today. that is why i think we, as designers, have to be proactive to show how inspiration and good design can come in many forms.
by my nightstand, i have cottage living's sept issue. i am in love the the article on a 70's ranch redo by david and tyler colgan. instead of building their dream home from scratch, they recycled a rancher....not by bulldozing it but keeping the structure and adding a face lift. they did the labor themselves and recycled the materials from tear downs in their neighborhood (so green). the transformation totally speaks for itself. while you might long for a new home, why not think about how you can take what you already have and make it special?? or if you are house hunting, why not give those "not so beautiful" homes a second look and think outside the box on how it could be reborn? i know that the colgan's house has really inspired me....

Friday, October 24, 2008

i'm off....


to meet the girls that created the fantastic fabric line, of the young and the restless. charleston home magazine is sponsoring a trade show this weekend so if any of y'all are in town, you should pop by and see the amazing craftsmen and designers charleston has to offer....
**update: i'm back from the show (it was kind of small)...i was glad to finally meet courtney and pearce (after many emails back and forth) and see the fabulous fabrics first hand. they did not disappoint. i am in love w/ all of the patterns (and the fact that they are printed on a linen background) but my favs are thorny rose- honeymoon and birdhouse- colonial. fyi- they are now at travis and co. for any designers that go to ADAC!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

PB & J + Thomas O' Brien...


Dear Mr. PB & J,
Hello, so we meet again...i just thought i would take this time to write and let you know that i am ok w/ eating you 365 days a year if i can buy things like the thomas o'brien vendome sconce and not have a guilty conscience. i am the first to admit that i have an addiction of thrift store shopping and buying "things" that i just cannot pass up even though i have no home for them. so i am making a deal w/ you...we will continue to meet everyday at 12:00 and i will eat you w/ a smile on my face...b/c after all, you allow me to feel better about myself (even though you have 16 grams of fat per serving and i go way overboard on my serving size) and you justify my need, no- i take that back, my longing desire to buy things that i just can't say no to.....
See you tomorrow (same time, same place)- pink

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

other people's trash is my treasure....




well, here are the two things that caught my eye in the mountains...an old, aqua phone and a floral, iron chandelier. i know, you are probably thinking i have lost my mind- my husband sure thinks so. but i think that the aqua phone totally says "shannon darby design"...i think it's so fun to answer my work calls on this!! right when i saw it, i remember these. and thanks to my wonderful husband and father in-law, they got the ol' beaut back working. now i just have to figure out how to hook it up to my fax machine and it can move into my office.
as for the chandelier, it still needs some TLC. i have no idea if it works still but hopefully my dad can rescue her if she doesn't. i haven't decided the perfect place for her yet (but i can see her in tay's room, my office, or a powder room). and i have no problem letting her sit in the garage until i decide (i am sure warren will love this). and for $30 why not?? she could resemble ruthie's kitchen light w/ a little white paint....
**isn't barron's face classic??!! that is exactly what warren's face looked like when he opened the trunk and saw her...ha!! guys, they just don't understand :)

Monday, October 20, 2008

my favorite kind of shopping....







you know the best part about the mountains....antiquing!! i love going to my in-law's mountain house b/c it has such great antique stores nearby. we had a wedding in black mountain, nc and on the way to the wedding, my mom and i hit up some antique stores (and the best part, stumbled upon a barn sale)!!! i could have bought a lot of stuff there (but i feel semi guilty buying unnecessary items during these times)...however, there were two things i couldn't pass up. i'll show you those tomorrow.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Windows 7 Wallpapers

Download free wallpapers of the next Microsoft operating system - Windows 7 !


1024 x 768 - Windows Se7en
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